Student Senate finalizes special election results

The Election Judiciary Board unanimously ruled Tuesday two grievances filed by Timothy Andrews, a director of Academic Affairs candidate, against political rival Benjamin Schiffelbein were not meritorious in a decision that officially ended this year’s special election.

In his first grievance, Andrews, a junior secondary education major, alleged that Schiffelbein violated an election bylaw and committed an act of election fraud by providing free T-shirts — that were advertised on a Facebook fan page — to potential voters as a part of a campaign to garner support for his candidacy.

Schiffelbein admitted the T-shirts were to endorse his candidacy, but argued they were only given to those who asked for them and already supported his cause.

“In order to wear a T-shirt with a political preference tattooed on your chest, it is implicit that you are a very passionate supporter,” said Schiffelbein, a sophomore political science and philosophy major, in his testimony to the Election Judiciary Board.

In his second grievance, Andrews alleged that Schiffelbein committed an act of defamation after Schiffelbein’s brother, Will Schiffelbein, a sophomore political science major, replied unfavorably to a campaign e-mail sent to students through a class Listserv. Andrews said he used Blackboard to send e-mails out to candidates endorsing the “People’s Choice Ticket,” which encouraged students to vote for nine specific candidates for Student Senate positions. In response, Will replied with an e-mail sent on the Blackboard Listserv that denounced the ethical decision of candidates to campaign on class Listservs and criticized the current practices exercised by the Student Senate.

Benjamin said he had no knowledge of the e-mail’s content prior to the Election Judiciary Board hearing and stated that his brother’s actions do not reflect his own. Schiffelbein withdrew his grievance after the second ruling was announced.

-- Originally published in The Mirror on April 28, 2010