Student Body Jonathan Kaufman has been brought up for impeachment. He is charged with violating a rule in the Student Government Constitution that requires him to nominate an Elections Commissioner within two weeks of his inauguration. Ironically, given the legalistic charge, all evidence points to Kaufman not actually violating this requirement. However, another code requires him to fill a vacancy in the position within two weeks, and it has been almost three months since prospective Elections Commissioner Cory Alpert dropped out of the process.
This does mean that, technically, Kaufman violated the Student Government Constitution. However, it seems that Kaufman has been pursuing an Elections Commissioner for some time now, so this would be a failure of efficacy, not of malice or gross negligence. As such, we do not believe he deserves impeachment. It seems a massive, highly public punishment for a blunder committed with no ill intent.
There might still have been value to the charges themselves, though. The position of Elections Commissioner is far more important than most students realize, and the absence of one, or any deputies this late in the process, is alarming. Forming an Elections Commission in a timely manner is essential to the timeliness and efficacy of the spring SG elections, and it's a far bigger job than most realize. Perhaps there was no other way to get the public’s attention on the issue that would have been as effective as filing impeachment charges.
The Student Government impeachment process also compares favorably to the Fraternity Council process that was thrust into the spotlight earlier this month. The rules are clearly established in a publicly accessible document. Impeachment charges were submitted with a name attached, removing the possibility of impeachment charges launched as a form of anonymous revenge. The bar for impeachment — a two-thirds vote by two bodies that Kaufman does not directly preside over — is also a higher standard but still attainable in cases of blatant wrongdoing.
This is not quite blatant wrongdoing. It is, at worst, a critical mistake made without the maximum possible amount of effort to avert it. This does not quite meet the high standards most people would associate with the word “impeachment” — the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Hopefully, the public attention now put upon the issue will lead to a hastening of elections-related appointments and confirmations.
Kaufman deserves the egg on his face, but he does not deserve to lose his presidency.