Impeachment bogged down

The impeachment proceedings against a Student Fee Committee member will continue in the Ombuds Office after the decision by the Student Senate was overturned by the Judicial Board. The Student Senate didn’t have enough votes to overrule the board’s decision.

The Senate’s decision to impeach SFC member Ron Lee was overruled by the J-Board during its review of the process because the Student Senate failed to follow through on its decision to send certified letters summoning the concerned parties to its meeting. The impeachment process will now go to the university’s Ombuds Office, where mediation will take place. If the mediation fails, the decision to impeach Lee will remain valid, said J-Board Chair Brad Vehafric.

On Tuesday, March 2, the Senate voted to impeach Lee after he accused Pre-Law Society President Ashley McClain of financial mismanagement. Lee was not present at the hearing.

Lee refused to participate in the impeachment process, though he was given an opportunity to offer rebuttal at last Tuesday’s Senate meeting. Lee is willing to participate in outside mediation, Vehafric said.

“The purpose of the mediation is to reach a decision which can be agreed upon,” Vehafric said.

He also said the Student Senate needs to focus on other tasks, including the upcoming ASPSU elections and the approval of the SFC budget.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Student Senate failed to pass the three-fourths majority vote needed to overturn the J-Board’s ruling and reinstate its previous decision.

McClain encouraged them to overturn the J-Board’s decision to bring the impeachment to the Ombud’s office.

“For the most part, I understand that Ron doesn’t recognize this process, but as a member of [the] SFC, as a member of ASPSU…he has to recognize it. The SFC is a branch of the Senate,” McClain said.

Senator P. V. Jantz was elected to attend the mediation talks on behalf of the Senate, alongside Vehafric and J-Board Justice Casey Payseno, who will represent ASPSU. McClain will also be invited to attend.

“We’ve given [Lee] a chance, [the Senate has] already spoken…I received a request to be here today. Ron received the same request. I’m here, I was here [at the last meeting], I’m ready to proceed,” she said.

The mediation talks have yet to be scheduled. However, Vehafric expressed his hopes that a final decision will be made by the first Senate meeting of spring term.