ASUA money used for YES promotion, says senator

Arizona Daily Wildcat Summer Katzenbach, ASUA Senator

Associated Students Sen. Summer Katzenbach said she was "appalled" with recent fliers funded by ASUA that she believes directly ask students to vote yes.

"I think it's pretty blatant what they are saying, there is no 'imply' about it," she said, citing what she called an "extreme conflict of interest within ASUA."

ASUA President Gilbert Davidson said the complaint seemed to be "political" in nature and did not request any action by officials.

"It's not an official complaint, so there's nothing to be done about it," he said.

Official election complaints must be filed with the elections commissioner and student body president on a specific form.

If it were official, Davidson said Elections Commissioner Marcos Hernandez would review it and could take action within 24 hours.

Katzenbach said she wasn't sure if she wanted to file an official complaint but merely wanted the two officials and UA students to know what she thought of ASUA's actions.

"The elections commission is located within ASUA, ASUA money is being used for YES propaganda," she wrote.

"ASUA officials are handing out YES campaign material, ASUA is running the election and delivering the results of the ballots," Katzenbach added.

ASUA does not have specific guidelines for any referendum, but Hernandez said he uses Pima County Board of Elections Representative and Arizona Revised Statutes for any issues not addressed in the ASUA Elections Code.

Katzenbach said pre-referendum ASUA campaigning appeared unethical and dishonest.

"I feel sad and have been embarrassed to be a part of an organization that has conducted itself in this way and cheated students in the end," she said.

Davidson maintained the student government had done nothing wrong during the campaign.

"Our job has been to get out there and tell people to vote, and we have done that," he said. "Legally we have the authority to print whatever we want about this."

Davidson also said Katzenbach hadn't discussed her complaint with him.

Davidson said copying charges for some fliers had been transferred from ASUA to a Student Union-funded account.

These included the fliers Katzenbach questioned.

ASUA had not yet paid those charges.