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USAC asks community to verify leaked LET’S ACT! documents’ authenticity

By Nicholas Yu

May 18, 2015 3:33 p.m.

Rosen released a statement Monday calling for members of the UCLA community to verify the authenticity of the leaked LET'S ACT! documents. (Owen Emerson/Daily Bruin)
Heather Rosen, the undergraduate student government president, released a statement Monday calling for members of the UCLA community to verify the authenticity of the leaked LET’S ACT! documents. (Owen Emerson/Daily Bruin)

Undergraduate student government President Heather Rosen asked on Monday for UCLA community members to submit any evidence that members of the LET’S ACT! slate used illicit tactics to fundraise in previous campaigns.

Documents leaked near the start of the Undergraduate Students Association Council election last month allege that LET’S ACT! members used student fees and sold marijuana and alcohol to raise revenue for their 2013 and 2014 election campaigns. Several slate members have denied the allegations but have verified certain files in the leaked documents.

 

Since USAC unanimously voted on April 28 to investigate the claims, a task force created by former USAC President Avinoam Baral has not found direct evidence of wrongdoing by LET’S ACT!, Baral said.

“We want to give people the opportunity to come forward to verify the authenticity of the documents,” Baral said.

The task force, composed of Associated Students UCLA officials and current councilmembers, will make a decision after enough time is given to students to come forward, Rosen said. Rosen could not specify how long the task force expects to take.

If the task force cannot find conclusive evidence, it can drop the case, she said.

“We don’t want to go on a blind search when we audit the documents,” Rosen said. “We need solid evidence which will back up the allegations stated on the document.”

If the task force finds that the allegations are valid, it will determine which university policy or election code was violated and deliver an appropriate penalty, Rosen said.

The allegations may not relate to slate members in the 2015-2016 election. If so, the result of the investigation would not affect the tenure of current LET’S ACT! councilmembers, General Representative 2 Aaliya Khan, General Representative 3 Anais Amin and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Amy Shao, Rosen said.

Last month, USAC also called on the Election Board to investigate allegations against LET’S ACT! related to this year’s election. After conducting interviews, the Election Board could not verify any wrongdoing by LET’S ACT! in the most recent election and does not have jurisdiction over past elections.

After the investigation is complete, the task force hopes to focus on addressing weaknesses in the current campaign finance process, such as finding ways to better track where slates obtain their funding.

Anyone with information can contact Rosen at [email protected] and the USAC Finance Committee chair at [email protected].

Compiled by Nick Yu, Bruin contributor.

 

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Nicholas Yu | Assistant news editor
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