Impeachment charges have been filed against SGA President Melissa Westbrook, KnightNews.com has confirmed.

Clifford Rice, a UCF student and College of Engineering and Computer Science Senator, filed the charges on Jan. 23, alleging Westbrook failed in her prescribed duties, violated the Sunshine Law and misused student funds.

Failure in her prescribed duties: “Vacancies in positions and general applications have frequently remained unpublished and absent from the Student Government Association (SGA) website. This has created an environment in which new positions are essentially accessible to only students who are personally connected to SGA already,” Rice alleges.

Violation of Sunshine Law: Rice alleges that a notice of an official meeting discussing the suspension of the Pride Coalition was not posted for the public. He also claims that the meeting — which included the SGA Comptroller, several advisers, the A&SF Business Office Director and leadership from the Pride Coalition, among others — was in a closed and locked room for a portion of the meeting.


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Rice goes on to say that the meeting concluded with Westbrook announcing the Pride Coalition would be removed from suspension. But Rice alleges that “this aspect of the meeting was cited at the following meeting of the Student Senate by Nick Simons, the Student Director of Pride, though the memorandum officially releasing the agency had yet to be issued.”

“No minutes were taken or distributed from this meeting,” Rice said in the affidavit.

Misuse of Funds Rice alleges that on Dec. 12, 2013, Westbrook issued an expenditure of A&SF funds, from the Presidential Initiatives account, for a car rental.

He claims “the car was used at her personal convenience during a multi-day vacation to Arizona during which she attended the Fiesta Bowl.”

The expenses were $120 for the rental and $15 for gas.

KnightNews.com is working to talk with Westbrook about the allegations. Continue to check back for more.

http://knightnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/001.pdf

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