The IU Student Government Election Commission found the Inspire ticket responsible for two more election violations Sunday, meaning Inspire has been found responsible for four total election violations.
According to the IUSG Election Commission’s official response, both of the new violations find Inspire responsible for improper use of IUSG branding. Improper use of IUSG branding includes falsely leading voters to believe a ticket is endorsed by IUSG, and includes current IUSG officers using their office to promote a ticket.
The commission disqualified from the election Inspire on April 6 after deducting 12 points for telecommunications violations. The new violations also resulted in a 12 point loss, totaling 24 points deducted from Inspire. According to the IUSG bylaws, if a ticket loses 10 points or more, it is disqualified.
Inspire appealed the commission’s first rulings to the IUSG Supreme Court on Thursday. The court agreed Saturday to hear some of Inspire’s appeals.
The Inspire campaign said it plans to appeal the two new election violations to the IUSG Supreme Court.
In one of the violations listed, Inspire accepted a list of approximately 10,000 peoples’ contact information from the current IUSG administration. The commission said the 2020 Inspire ticket, the current IUSG administration, compiled this list during their campaign through a petition that is no longer active. According to the commission’s official response, the 2021 Inspire ticket’s use of this contact information is a violation because it uses resources created by and in the name of current IUSG officials to advance its independent campaign.
The second IUSG Election Commission ruling claims Inspire committed an election violation by allowing Ruhan Syed, the current IUSG vice president and Inspire campaign manager, to speak on behalf of the Inspire campaign in an interview with the Indiana Daily Student. In the interview, Syed misuses his current IUSG office by using “we” in reference to the 2021 Inspire ticket, the commission said. In its official statement, the commission said Syed misled voters to believe IUSG endorsed Inspire.
Election Commissioners Shambhavi Badi and Adenike Oladeinde voted in these rulings. Inspire claimed the commission held bias against the Inspire campaign Sunday, specifically naming Badi and Oladeinde.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the day the IUSG Supreme Court agreed to hear some of Inspire's appeals.
