Joint Statement From True Blue, Emma/Getachew and Ryan/Ian Regarding April 6 ASUO Elections Board Ruling
EUGENE, OR – Today, the ASUO Elections Board declared that the Oregon Action Team was in violation of campaign rules for failing to file their first Contribution and Expenditure Form by the April 2 deadline. Accordingly, the Elections Board ruled that members of the Oregon Action Team, along with every other candidate who failed to file their campaign expenditures form on time, will be barred from any campaign activity on Wednesday, April 8. Upon hearing the news, the members of the True Blue Student Coalition, and the independent executive candidates Emma Kallaway & Getachew Kassa and Ryan McCarrel & Ian Baldwin wish to express our firm support for the Elections Board’s decision. We believe that the failure to file a mandatory campaign expenditures form by a campaign that spent over $10,000 in last year’s election demonstrates a serious disregard for the campaign rules and the students they are meant to protect.
This matter isn’t simply about a campaign failing to observe a minor ASUO elections rule – we believe it’s a fundamental right of voters in any election to know who is financially supporting a campaign and how that money is being spent. If a candidate fails to report their income or expenditures in a timely manner while running for statewide office in Oregon, his or her campaign can be penalized up to $10,000. Federal law also requires candidates and their campaigns to publically disclose their finances. Oregon Action Team’s failure to reveal their sources of income and campaign expenditures to voters would be a violation of the rules governing nearly every level of public elections, and is certainly a major violation of ASUO Election Rules.
Moreover, we believe that the students of the University of Oregon, including ourselves, absolutely deserve to be represented by a student government that demonstrates a commitment to transparency, effectiveness and a comprehensive understanding of and respect for critical rules and regulations. The campaign leadership of the Oregon Action Team hasn’t demonstrated that commitment to students in their actions. If the leaders of the Oregon Action Team can’t abide by basic rules governing ASUO Elections, we believe this casts doubt on their ability to govern fairly and effectively if elected.
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