During an otherwise typical Undergraduate Student Government debate, a pair of candidates publicly alleged misconduct by another campaign slate Tuesday evening.
In the last question of the moderated debate, candidates were asked who they would endorse for president and vice president besides themselves. Presidential candidate Jad Kilani and vice presidential candidate Jeremiah Boisrond said they would have previously endorsed opponents Syrabi Nur Rahman and Diane Kim, but had instead filed a formal complaint to the USG Judicial Council against the Rahman-Kim slate.
Their complaint alleged that Rahman and Kim committed seven violations of the student government elections code. At least one of the alleged violations stems from an incident in which a member of the Affordability and Basic Needs Committee held a campaign sign for the Rahman-Kim ticket, apparently in violation of section IV.E.1.B of the elections code.
During the open questions portion of the debate, an audience member asked each candidate slate whether any members of USG had campaigned on behalf of them. Rahman and Kim were the only to say they may have violated the code, admitting they had asked a committee member to hold a campaign sign in what they called an “oversight” of the elections code.
In an interview with Annenberg Media after the debate, Rahman and Kim said they had asked a member of the judicial council whether that committee member could hold a campaign sign, to which they said they were told it “should be OK.”
Boisrond said he filed the complaint on Sunday, Feb. 8, but could not discuss the other violations they raised. Kilani explained that both he and another candidate slate, Ben Huang and Wynn Hammond, were formal witnesses to the violations. Rahman and Kim said they had not been informed of the complaint, and did not learn of any potential violations until the issue was raised during the debate.
The elections code states that after a complaint is filed, the judicial council must decide within 36 hours whether to hear the case. If they pursue a case, the council must inform all parties involved and set a time for the hearing.
USG Chief Justice Ryan Tung said he could not comment on any judicial proceedings or complaints, and that if a decision is made it will be published on the student government website.
Kim, a vice presidential candidate, defended their campaign’s integrity during the debate.
“We are unsure about what seven claims they are stating,” Kim said. “We believe in working directly with the student body and complying with the election code.”
Throughout the debate, each candidate slate emphasized their commitment to transparency. They identified the USC budget deficit, transparency between administrators and students and club accessibility, as the largest issues facing students.
“We want to be able to produce a USG that is representative of our entire campus and that comes from having conversations with other people first,” presidential candidate Rahman said.
Write-in presidential candidate Ava Schmidt echoed that statement saying, “USC and USG as a whole should have a bigger student voice.”
Kilani emphasized the need to improve the USC dining experience, referencing Annenberg Media’s investigation into food contamination in dining halls last fall.
“USC forces us to pay thousands of dollars for dining hall plans but there’s bugs in our food, no nutritional facts at TCC, and not enough religious accommodations,” Kilani said.
Student safety and quality of life were also discussed. Vice presidential candidate Hammond said he and presidential candidate Huang would increase Fryft hours if elected, noting that “students need to feel safe moving around off campus.”
“We have an obligation that our students feel safe at USC. USG funds organizations that help people know their rights and we want to see these organizations continue,” said vice presidential candidate Hammond.
Hammond also said he’d like to improve the Registered Student Organization process to support students in starting a new club.
“Most students are only here for eight semesters and it takes two or three semesters to start a club,” Hammond said. “Students are losing out on valuable time.”
Each candidate slate said improving student experiences was at the core of their platforms.
“We want to make sure no one feels overlooked or left behind,” Boisrond said, “and continue bridging the gap between the university and students.”
Voting for the USG elections opens on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and will close at midnight on Feb 22.
Emily S. Chavez & Lillian Matthews contributed to this story.