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Wheeler
campaign revived on Monday
By
Daniel Linck Savino
Online Forty-Niner
Assistant Opinion Editor
In
a surprising reversal of fortune, the presidential
campaign of Associated Students Senator
Morgan Wheeler is back on its feet today.
The AS Judiciary issued an injunction Monday
against the Elections Commission, allowing
Wheeler to repost signs on campus during
the final week of campaigning.
This
latest development comes slightly over a
fortnight after the Elections Commission
put a three-week hold on Wheeler's campaign.
He was found guilty of interfering with
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
posting of signs at West Turnaround in front
of Brotman Hall.
On
the afternoon of Wednesday, March 8, Wheeler
and several other candidates had lain stakes
for campaign signs on the ground at the
turnaround. Uduak-Joe Ntuk, an AS senator,
fellow presidential candidate and president
of the NSBE, and around ten other students
started putting up signs for an NSBE meeting.
The signs were placed between the stakes
that Wheeler and the other candidates had
put on the ground.
When
Ntuk began putting up his signs, a shouting
match ensued. Two days later, he filed a
complaint with the commission, which ultimately
led to the ruling.
Wheeler
petitioned the judiciary Monday afternoon,
asking them to put a hold on the punishment
until they could hear his case. He argued
that the large quantity of evidence he had
would show that the commission had excessively
punished him. In his case which will be
heard next Monday, Wheeler will argue that
the statements of a number of people show
the original ruling was excessive. He plans
to call a variety of witnesses, including
several police officers.
The
Judiciary unanimously voted to put an injunction
against the commission, effectively ending
the sanctions against Wheeler a week early.
The sanctions were scheduled to end at 5
p.m. Thursday.
Wheeler
plans to get his campaign back on track
immediately. "My signs are going back
up tonight in full force," he said.
"I'm gonna get back on the campaign."
Reactions
from fellow candidates was muted but supportive.
In
response to the ruling, Ntuk said "I
look forward to having him in the race."
He went on to say, "I hope he can behave
himself this time."
Jamie
Pollock, also running for president, said
"I trust the decision of the judiciary.
I think that Morgan's punishment was a bit
harsh."
Neither
of the other two official candidates, John
"Moose" Bevis or Ryan Risher,
were available for comment before deadline.
Wheeler's
case will be heard by the judiciary at 12:30
p.m. Monday in the Senate chambers.
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