Election Commission Member Resigns

Margaret L. White '99 resigned last night from the Election Commission, which oversees the Undergraduate Council elections, after the contents of a controversial e-mail message were made public.

Members of the commission said a "perceived conflict of interest" was apparent in an e-mail message White sent to the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship.

In the e-mail message, White said she is "officially neutral when it comes to the candidates," yet also urged group member to keep candidates T. Christopher King '01 and Fentrice D. Driskell '01 in their prayers.

"Please pray for their protection from Satan's tactics to undermine their confidence in doing His work," she wrote. "I know that God's hand is directing [King and Driskell] to run, as it has been directing them for so long."

Commission member Ryan D. Fahey '02 said White's actions were construed as a violation of election rules. He stressed the importance of maintaining impartiality.

"You're not supposed to advertise your position to other people," Fahey said.

According to council regulations, "Members of the Election Commission are required to resign if there exists a potential conflict of interest involving a candidate for campus-wide popular elections. The commission shall be the final judge of the conflicts of its members."

White said she was not pressured to resign by the other members of the commission.

"I don't want to overshadow the candidates. That's the reason for my resignation," White said.

According to White, the controversy began when a third party forwarded White's e-mail message to Council President Beth A. Stewart '00.

White said she was disappointed that the third party did not come to her first to discuss her intentions and to understand the context of the e-mail message.

"I would have sent a follow-up message saying `I'm not partisan,'" White said.

Within the original e-mail mes- sage, White mentioned that her position on thecommission necessitated neutrality.

"This is by no means an appeal to vote for onecandidate or another, but rather a request fromone sister to her family to pray for our brotherand sister," White wrote in the e-mail message.

But some commission members said the e-mailmessage crossed over the line to partisanship.

"The fact that there was a complaint [about themessage] indicates that it went beyond a group offriends," Krishna said.

After her resignation White said she did nothave an opinion on who should be elected.

"It does not matter to me who wins or loses. Itis not about winning or losing," White said.

In a statement released last night, thecommission emphasized its role as "a nonpartisanfacilitator of the campus-wide election."

"The Election Commission wishes to assure allcandidates and the voting public that the fairnessof the election process will be maintained and thebusiness of the election shall continue," thestatement said.

The commission statement also recognizedWhite's resignation and said the King/Driskellplatform did not solicit White's promotion.

"We have not asked for their [Harvard-RadcliffeChristian Fellowship] endorsements," King said.

King said White joined the commission to keepthis year's campaign "clean." He criticized lastyear's election as being "very ugly."

However King said he believes the fairness ofthe election campaign has improved this year.

King said he had not asked White to join thecommission.

"She [White] wanted to do her part to make surewe had a chance to speak," King said. "Megan is avery caring individual and I know she hadeveryone's best interests in mind."

According to Stewart, the council is separatefrom the commission and has no stance on theissue.

In separate electionl news, Bisexual, Gay,Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters Alliance(BGLTSA) endorsed John A. Burton '01 for presidentand Kamil E. Redmond '00 for vice-president.

Adam A. Sofen '01 who is co-chair BGLTSA andalso a Crimson editor, said the organizationsupports Burton for his specific plans for gaystudents.

"He had more concrete ideas," Sofen said.

Sofen said they decided to support Redmond forher support of Faculty diversity. He also said thedecision on the vice-presidential candidate wasvery difficult.

"It was not a vote against Scott [Resnick'01]," Sofen said.

--Barbara E. Martinez contributed to thereporting of this story.

"This is by no means an appeal to vote for onecandidate or another, but rather a request fromone sister to her family to pray for our brotherand sister," White wrote in the e-mail message.

But some commission members said the e-mailmessage crossed over the line to partisanship.

"The fact that there was a complaint [about themessage] indicates that it went beyond a group offriends," Krishna said.

After her resignation White said she did nothave an opinion on who should be elected.

"It does not matter to me who wins or loses. Itis not about winning or losing," White said.

In a statement released last night, thecommission emphasized its role as "a nonpartisanfacilitator of the campus-wide election."

"The Election Commission wishes to assure allcandidates and the voting public that the fairnessof the election process will be maintained and thebusiness of the election shall continue," thestatement said.

The commission statement also recognizedWhite's resignation and said the King/Driskellplatform did not solicit White's promotion.

"We have not asked for their [Harvard-RadcliffeChristian Fellowship] endorsements," King said.

King said White joined the commission to keepthis year's campaign "clean." He criticized lastyear's election as being "very ugly."

However King said he believes the fairness ofthe election campaign has improved this year.

King said he had not asked White to join thecommission.

"She [White] wanted to do her part to make surewe had a chance to speak," King said. "Megan is avery caring individual and I know she hadeveryone's best interests in mind."

According to Stewart, the council is separatefrom the commission and has no stance on theissue.

In separate electionl news, Bisexual, Gay,Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters Alliance(BGLTSA) endorsed John A. Burton '01 for presidentand Kamil E. Redmond '00 for vice-president.

Adam A. Sofen '01 who is co-chair BGLTSA andalso a Crimson editor, said the organizationsupports Burton for his specific plans for gaystudents.

"He had more concrete ideas," Sofen said.

Sofen said they decided to support Redmond forher support of Faculty diversity. He also said thedecision on the vice-presidential candidate wasvery difficult.

"It was not a vote against Scott [Resnick'01]," Sofen said.

--Barbara E. Martinez contributed to thereporting of this story.