USG Pres, Junior Rep Impeached

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Jean-Baptiste addresses the USG senate during debate for his impeachment, which passed with a yes vote from 19 of the 21 senators present.

By George Agathos

USG President Romual Jean-Baptiste and Junior Representative Michael Cohan were both impeached by the senate of the Undergraduate Student Government Tuesday night. The impeachment resolutions approved by the senate accused the two of conspiring to plant offensive campaign fliers to look as if they came from another candidate, USG Sen. Joseph Antonelli.

Jean-Baptiste dropped out of the current USG elections last Friday, but Cohan is still on the ballot as the sole candidate for vice president of academic affairs.

The gallery, which is the public seating area, was packed. Police officers were in the hallway and Amy Wisnoski, president of the senate, threatened the gallery with removal should they become unruly.

Debate on the floor was heated as information came out about statements made by the impeached officers that implied they were responsible for the postings. Jean-Baptiste and Cohan both refused to answer the senator's questions and the comments they made sharply contrasted with other's testimony about private conversations with them.

Chinelo Onochie, current vice president of academic affairs and candidate for president, addressed the senate as they deliberated both resolutions. She said that Jean-Baptiste had personally apologized to her and presented it to the senate as evidence that the president was complicit in posting the fliers.

Antonelli confronted Cohan in questioning and said that Cohan had apologized to him personally and expressed concern about serving next semester.

Sen. Robert Romano said in a prepared statement that Jean-Baptiste showed him the images of Onochie that were used in the flier and indicated that they would be used in a flier.

Romano later clarified, however, that he was not aware of the exact nature of the fliers or that they would be intended to defame Antonelli. He said after the fliers were posted last Wednesday he came forward university authorities and then to members of USG.

Jean-Baptiste, however, cited the principle of the accused being innocent until proven guilty. "There is no evidence to support any of these accusations against me," he said in a prepared statement. "They have failed to come up with any tangible evidence to support their case for impeachment."

A trial date has not yet been announced.

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