The Foret-Tatman: Forward ticket for student government has been reinstated following a review from Dean of Students Fran’Cee Brown-McClure overturning an SG Judicial Branch order finding the campaign liable for bribery.
Brown-McClure said the primary reason the ticket was reinstated was because three judges who ruled in the Election Court’s decision were also involved in the appeal to the University Court, a fact she says can jeopardize the court’s impartiality.
Additionally, Brown-McClure took issue with the court’s disqualification of the ticket as a whole, as the statute they allegedly violated refers only to individual candidates and authorized agents, not entire campaigns. She also cast doubt on the validity of the evidence, warning that testimony of what others have said is hearsay and of “dubious value.”
In her announcement, Brown-McClure does not fault individual judges. Instead, she blames the judicial process and says the university will conduct a review of the SG election code and judicial court procedures.
“While we have no reason to believe that these justices acted inappropriately or with bias, the setup of the process itself creates the potential for undue influence and an appearance of unfairness,” Brown-McClure said. “This is a procedural issue, not the fault of any individual or party involved.”
The Foret-Tatman: Forward campaign welcomed the news in an Instagram post Sunday.
“We were falsely accused and disqualified over allegations surrounding our campaign. We trusted in the Lord, and justice has prevailed,” the post read. “We never gave up and continued to fight, not for us. But for YOU. The great students that make LSU what it is.”