Accusations of abuse of power. Grievances filed for first amendment violations. No, it’s not Washington politics. According to some students, it’s Binghamton University’s Student Association.

Unlike previous years during Student Association elections, complaints haven’t been made by or about the candidates — they’re aimed primarily at the Student Assembly’s Elections Committee.

The committee landed in hot water at the beginning of the semester when its chair stepped down. To fill the vacancy, Mary Leonardo, the chair of the Rules Committee, another standing committee of the Assembly, was confirmed as the elections chair. Since then, students have challenged her appointment to a second chair position.

Last week, an Assembly representative said Student Association President Matt Landau involved himself in an elections matter that, he said, did not concern him.

Yesterday a student filed a grievance against Leonardo for allegedly violating his right to free speech.

ONE PERSON, TWO COMMITTEES

No one else has chaired two standing committees at the same time in recent memory, according to Assembly Chair Josh Berk.

Berk appointed Leonardo the pro-tem chair after the previous chair resigned. He introduced her to the elections committee Feb. 2, just before the semester’s first Assembly meeting.

According to Berk, he introduced Leonardo to the committee, recommended her, then left the room. Both Leonardo and Berk said committee members were told she was Berk’s recommendation, and that they did not think members were pressured.

However, Off Campus College Rep. Nico Meyer said committee members were “kind of caught off guard.”

He did say, though, that the committee had the minimum number of members necessary to make decisions.

“When people found out, it became this whole big uproar,” Meyer said. “That there was some kind of big conspiracy … but that was just a myth.”

While Berk admitted the decision could be considered “a little bit of a risky call,” he said he chose Leonardo because he thought she was the most qualified.

“I had already seen that there were people campaigning, so I wanted someone who had experience on the Elections Committee,” Berk said.

Meyer said he thought there should have been more than one nominee, though.

“When he [Berk] nominated somebody to take the position, he should’ve had nominees, not just one nominee,” Meyer said.

Meyer said he thought the problem could have been avoided, had there been more diverse or experienced representatives on the committee.

Meyer still thinks Leonardo is doing a good job, he said, despite the heightened attention she’s received.

According to Berk, he asked Leonardo if she was willing to step down as rules chair to become the elections chair. Leonardo said she didn’t think there would be any conflict.

However, not everyone agrees.

“When I first heard it [the appointment], I was fairly appalled,” said George Hadjiconstantinou, a Hinman College Assembly representative.

Hadjiconstantinou said he thinks it’s inappropriate for any one person to chair multiple standing committees.

Since the appointment, Hadjiconstantinou has drafted a resolution that would prevent one person from holding two chair positions in the future.

“It’s inappropriate for her, or anyone for that matter, to chair multiple standing committees in the Student Assembly,” he said.

Leonardo called the situation an “unfortunate necessity.”

“There was just no one else who could run the election,” she said.

While Hadjiconstantinou said he thought Leonardo is very capable and that “she knows her stuff,” he said he still felt that it’s wrong.

Hadjiconstantinou said he didn’t understand why Leonardo couldn’t recall herself from her position as rules chair.

“I feel like we’re entrenching the same people to do jobs. Why not have new blood?” he asked.

Hadjiconstantinou’s resolution was introduced to the Assembly March 2, but was then postponed until after the elections were completed.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Jordan Zager, a sophomore English and cinema major, filed a grievance yesterday saying he felt his rights were violated.

According to Zager, Leonardo didn’t allow him to ask the candidates questions during community sweeps this week.

Zager said that when he raised his hand to speak, Leonardo asked if he lived in the community, to which he replied no. Leonardo then did not allow Zager to speak.

Student Association President Landau said only community council members, as defined by the different community constitutions and bylaws, are able to speak at sweeps. He said that, if Zager had asked his question, there wouldn’t have been time for a member of the community to ask something.

Pipe Dream, however, was unable to find specifications of community council rules stating that those who were not considered council members could not speak. In Hinman College, all community members are considered council members under council documents.

However, Zager said he thought Leonardo abused her power in telling him he couldn’t speak.

“Even if council members thought it was within their rights, it was not within Mary’s rights,” he said.

According to Landau, Leonardo asked Zager’s residence because he had gone to more than one community sweep.

“It was obvious he kept going from community to community,” Landau said.

While Landau said he thought Zager’s intentions were to embarrass a specific candidate, Zager said he wanted ask about diversity.

Zager said he attended the different sweeps hoping to ask the vice president of academic affairs candidates a question about a possible queer studies minor.

Though Landau said he believed Zager’s question was meant to embarrass a specific candidate, Zager said this was not the case.

He wanted to learn what the candidates’ stances were, Zager said, and to draw attention to alleged prior actions of one candidate against diversity.

Leonardo refused to comment on the situation.

GRIEVANCE

College-in-the-Woods Rep. Mike Lombardi said he received an angry phone call from Landau after saying he would file a grievance about elections.

Lombardi wanted to file a grievance after being excluded from candidacy for not having the correct number of signatures necessary to run for an executive board position.

According to Lombardi, he was stuck on Long Island during the snow storm on March 2 and was unable to deliver the signatures himself, so he had friends submit them. He said he received a call from Leonardo, after the deadline, saying he was short five numbers and that, as a result, he could not be placed on the ballot.

“I had an argument with Mary, but this had nothing to do with Matt [Landau],” Lombardi said.

Leonardo said she thought Landau was trying to smooth the situation over after she told him about her conversation with Lombardi.

However, Lombardi said he was disturbed by his conversation with Landau.

“I said, ‘I don’t care if the grievance works or doesn’t work,’” he said. “‘I want to [file a] grievance and talk to the appropriate administration people,’ etc.”

According to Lombardi, Landau’s response was to threaten him with the University police.

But Landau said it’s not true.

“There would be no reason to call UPD,” he said. “I guess he misheard that.”

Lombardi said he had Landau on speaker phone during the conversation, and that there were several people in the room listening. He said Landau is lying.

“That [what Landau said] is a complete fabrication,” Lombardi said.

Lombardi said he was still considering what actions to take.