On Monday, March 22, the majority of the Associated Students of NMU (ASNMU) members voted against an impeachment charge that was leveled at general studies representative and presidential candidate T.J. Weber.
ASNMU representatives were provided with a formal complaint from Erin Astle, the general manager of Radio X, which alleged that Weber made threats regarding the organization’s funding. Astle’s letter stated, “(Weber) made a comment implying that he could use his power as a member of ASNMU to have a negative outcome on our upcoming referendum.”
Radio X is currently asking for a $0.70 increase per student to the Student Activity Fee in the upcoming referendum vote.
Vice President Josh Corbat, who proposed the impeachment, said he felt that the allegations were serious enough to warrant further investigation.
“As the assembly of ASNMU, we don’t have the authority to run a formal investigation,” he said. “If you try to decide whether this is true, you are not doing your job tonight.”
President Jason Morgan said that he didn’t believe that there was sufficient evidence to suggest that Weber had threatened Radio X. He asked the board members to vote no on turning over the investigation to the All Student Judiciary (ASJ).
“This is the biggest waste of time all year,” Morgan said. “What (Corbat) is saying is, ‘Don’t think for yourself, let someone else do it for you.’”
The vote on the charge failed 8-2 with two “Abstain” votes and one member was absent.
According to the ASNMU Constitution, in order to have had the ASJ review the case, “Upon a three-fourths affirmative vote of the Assembly, the charges will be referred to the (ASJ) or other comparable student judiciary.”
Weber said that the allegation that he made threats to Radio X after he was fired as a radio show host were malicious and false.
“I kept my cool very well, and I never threatened them,” he said. “This is damaging to a person’s reputation.”
In other news, ASNMU unanimously approved $600 from their general fund for a trip the organization plans to take to Lansing to rally for higher education funding. Corbat and Holly Kasberger resigned from the election committee and Stefane Preston and Lupita Ferguson were appointed to take their places. ASNMU also announced plans to reinstitute the bike share program on campus starting Sunday, March 28. ASNMU also approved unanimously the language of all of the proposed questions for the 2010 NMU Referendum.
