Dems, GOP Criticize Council

Harvard's two largest political organizations are crying foul over Monday's decision by the Undergraduate Council to deny the groups any grant money.

Council members defended their decision and said that the Republican club had falsified their grant application while Harvard-Radcliffe Democrats had too many assets to be eligible for grant money.

The Republican club was denied funds at the semi-annual grants meeting because they deceived the council, said Representative Michael P. Beys '94. According to Beys, Republican Club Treasurer Kenneth D. De Giorgio '93 said he had not collected dues from the groups members yet this semester. Beys disputed this claim and said that the club had collected some funds from members.

But De Giorgio said in an interview yesterday that the money the club had collected would not be used until the winter. The club normally does not collect their dues until January.

"Basically the Undergraduate Council was being kind of high-minded about this," De Giorgio said. "I had said that we had no assets this year because dues aren't due until next year. I wanted them to know that we expected funds for next semester."

De Giorgio said the club is considering reapplying to the council for an emergency grant, but has not made a final decision.

Originally, the council's finance committee recommended a $350 grant to the Democrats. The council struck down the application after a form submitted late by the group revealed that its expected assets were in excess of the grant.

"We subtract assets from the grant. They had more assets than the grant," said Representative Christopher J. Borgen '91.

The Democrats said that the decision to deny them grant money was innappropriate and criticized the council for suggesting that they were attempting to falsify their application.

"I think it's a very poor decision," said Lawrence S. Carson '93, organizational director for Harvard-Radcliffe Democrats. "We're very upset. We did not misrepresent them."

Carson said that he received a call Thursday night from Beys, who asked him to submit a statement of potential income separate from the original grant application. Carson added that he submitted the form detailing their plans for a T-shirt sale and direct mail fundraising.

"I'm really hurt that through innuendos they're basically calling me a liar," Carson said. Carson said he was not in attendance at Monday's meeting because the council changed locations and he was unable to locate the new site.

"I'm disgusted that they called us liars," said James M. Harmon '93, president of the Democrats. "When we sent the original grant proposal, we didn't know of other sources or income." Harmon said that the club will be trying for an emergency grant.

Borgen said that the council had only suggested that the Republicans had misrepresented themselves, not the Democrats.