The Syracuse University Student Association presidential campaign of Eric Evangelista and Joyce Lalonde has recommended to the Judicial Review Board that it launch an investigation into Charlie Mastoloni’s presidential campaign for the possible violation of SA bylaws, Evangelista said.

If the JRB investigates and finds that Mastoloni did violate bylaws, there are grounds for his campaign’s disqualification. That would leave Evangelista’s campaign as the only one left standing.

“All we are looking for is a fair campaign,” Evangelista said.

Evangelista said his campaign had not received a response from the JRB. The JRB did not respond to an immediate request for comment.

The statement Evangelista’s campaign is concerned with came from Mastoloni’s former campaign manager, Austin Galovski, in regards to another candidate, Andrew Brendel, dropping out of the race on Tuesday night.

With Galovski and Mastoloni both on the line on a phone call, Brendel offered to end his candidacy and endorse Mastoloni for a position in his administration, Galovski told The Daily Orange.

The potential exchange could be seen as bribery by the JRB, a source close to the situation said.

“It appeared to me as … a gross violation of the bylaws,” Evangelista said. “Whether that is actually going to be a violation is not up to me.”

Evangelista said that he had not personally communicated with anyone in SA or the JRB, but students, both apart of and separate from his campaign did so. Evangelista declined to specify which members of his campaign did so.

“I know there were many individuals … who expressed a deep dissatisfaction with the statements that were made,” Evangelista said.

Bribery, as outlined in SA bylaws 5.9 through 5.10.5 on page 26, is grounds for the disqualification of a campaign. The bylaws also state that an SA presidential candidate is responsible for the actions and words of his or her staff.

Galovski was campaign manager at 10:34 p.m. on Tuesday night and by Wednesday morning he had resigned for, according to Mastoloni’s vice presidential candidate Jessica Brosofsky, “personal reasons.”

Mastoloni has not responded to multiple requests for comment. Brosofsky did not immediately return a phone call.

“I hope the situation gets worked out and that it had nothing to do with their campaign,” Evangelista said.

You can hear the Galovski’s full interview with The Daily Orange below:

Published on April 13, 2016 at 12:29 pm

Contact Sam: sjfortie@syr.edu | @Sam4TR