Jamie
Pollock
AS Judiciary meeting
discusses Pollock’s request to
pay Godina
By Joseph Serna
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
The Associated Students Judiciary met Monday to hear a complaint filed against
Associated Students, Inc.
President Jamie Pollock. In the complaint, John Kitahara accused Pollock of violating
AS Bylaws by giving Chief of Staff Bobby Godina, an executive-level stipend of
$1,322 per month. The meeting ended with no judgment.
According to Kitahara’s interpretation of the bylaws, Godina’s position
does not fall under the Executive Officer title because it is specified under
an even broader sections describing “Appointed AS Executive Officers.” Because
of that, Kitahara argued, the chief of staff is not eligible for the large
stipend traditionally given to the administrator, also an appointed executive
officer.
Though in the formal complaint he cited numerous bylaw violations by Pollock,
when asked to supply any documents, letters or witnesses, Kitahara was at a loss.
“
Do you have minutes, do you have letters, do you have e-mails?” asked
Julie Van Camp, the faculty representative to the Judiciary.
“
I don’t know if I can access that information,” Kitahara replied.
The Judiciary then granted Kitahara 24 hours to gather sufficient evidence to
support his claims. The Judiciary later granted the same opportunity for Pollock.
Pollock is represented by Attorney General Kevin Rhodes. Kitahara represented
himself.
Kitahara alone was shorthanded, but both the Judiciary and senators in the audience
came to his aid. While different justices were clarifying his statements for
him, Sen. Elisa Herrera, College of Education, sat down next to Kitahara and
was then officially called as a witness.
She verified Kitahara’s claim that Godina was in fact being paid a stipend
by Pollock.
Kitahara then called Godina as a witness, and confirmed Godina was being paid.
Part of Kitahara’s argument hinged on his assertion that Senate legislation
and budgeting did not approve Godina’s payment.
Though not part of Monday’s hearing, AS Executive Director Richard Haller
confirmed the Senate knew, before approving Godina as chief of staff, he would
be receiving the monthly stipend.
Following Kitahara’s testimony, Rhodes, representing Pollock, took a
tack in her defense.
His first aim was on the justice presiding over the case, Justin Toderoff.
Citing two previous cases involving Pollock in which Toderoff had recused himself
from the case with conflict of interest in mind, Rhodes was looking for a similar
action this time.
Toderoff said he felt confident he could provide fair judgement, and was the
justice most qualified to hear the case. Chief Justice Mandy Reyes denied Rhodes’ subsequent
request that she remove him from the case.
Rhodes followed that request with a number of technical questions regarding the
plantiff, all of which had the potential to throw the case immediately.
Initally, Rhodes had Kitahara say under oath he was a Cal State Long Beach student
in good standing, which until then had not been confirmed.
He followed that with a request for any evidence that Pollock’s paying
Godina instead of paying Sally Bulquerin, the AS administrator, had an effect
on him.
After it was established that Kitahara could legally file a complaint against
Pollock, Rhodes explained his interpretation of the bylaws, in which the chief
of staff is under the main heading of executive officer, and can therefore be
paid the stipend.
“
He still falls under the header of appointed executive officers,” Rhodes
said.
In Herrera’s earlier witness testimony, she also confirmed and then reversed
her statement that Godina was an executive officer.
The rest of the hearing focused on differing readings of the bylaws, and the
case may hinge on whether a section or subsection heading is more important.
A special hearing will be scheduled to hear and refute evidence turned in today.
Daniel Linck Savino contributed to this article.
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