Election Commission Suspends Flores Campaign

The campaign of Andrea R. Flores ’10 and Kia J. McLeod ’10 for the Undergraduate Council’s top two spots was suspended by a unanimous vote of a quorum of the Election Commission late last night for the remainder of the election, which ends today at noon.

According to an e-mail sent by Election Commissioner Steven T. Cupps ’09, who is also a Crimson editorial editor, the campaign violated election rules by forging a signature on its staff list. If the ticket continues to campaign, it will be disqualified.

But according to the Flores/McLeod campaign, the staff member in charge of collecting signatures received “electronic permission” from Sangu J. Delle ’10, the president of the Black Men’s Forum, to sign on his behalf, because he is out of the country. An e-mail obtained by The Crimson confirmed that Delle gave his permission.

Whenever the EC asks a campaign to turn in a staff list, it must do so within 24 hours, with each staff member’s signature. This request can be made in the course of investigations into infractions or simply as a routine check.

“The Election Commissioner was wrong in making this decision,” said Daniel V. Kroop ’10, the ticket’s campaign manager.

Kroop added that, in the digital age, collecting a signature in this way is legitimate and that the list of signatures was collected “in good faith.”

Benjamin P. Schwartz ’10, Flores’ principal rival, emphasized the seriousness of the violation. “We feel that all Harvard students should have the chance to recast their ballot with this new information at hand as it calls into question the integrity of the Flores/McLeod ticket and their ability to competently and ethically run the Undergraduate Council.”

“At the end of the day whether or not they had permission, they willfully deceived the Election Commission and the student body,” he also said.

EC member Michael R. Ragalie ’09, who was charged with speaking on behalf of the body last night, declined to speak on the record besides to say that the campaign will not be disqualified as long as it ceases campaigning.

According to Kroop, the unanimous decision was made by the smallest number of the seven commissioners needed for a quorum. “Our campaign was suspended by four people, three of whom live in the same room,” he said.

EC member Frances I. Martel ’09, in an e-mail sent over the Currier House open list, confirmed that she was not part of the decision.

While the Flores/McLeod ticket can no longer campaign, the EC has decided that their Web site can remain active.

—Elias J. Groll and Eric P. Newcomer contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Victoria B. Kabak can be reached at vkabak@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Alex M. McLeese can be reached at amcleese@fas.harvard.edu.