UTRGV delays articles of impeachment disclosure during SGA elections
Earlier in the semester, anonymous articles of impeachment against a sitting senate member of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Student Government Association (SGA) were submitted by someone requesting anonymity, which was granted. It failed but many questions remained unanswered about the secrecy-riddled procedure.
I submitted a public information request to the university, asking for copies of any documents relating to the articles of impeachment, 20 March at 8 a.m. Legally, the university has ten business days to respond, by either providing your request, negating your request (which requires an opinion from the Texas Attorney General), or requesting more time to fulfill your inquiry.
The UTRGV legal department informed me 3 April at 9:48 a.m., the third day of voting for a hotly contested SGA election, that they would be opting for that third option. I asked why they needed more time at 10:26 a.m., but as of 5 p.m., the end of UTRGV’s regular business hours, they had not responded.
Whatever the reason they may offer, withholding this imperative request for disclosure, which could possibly impact the SGA elections, raises suspicions, especially if it turns out that disclosure of the articles of impeachment could’ve reasonably affected one or both sides of the ticket for better or worse.
There could be a legitimate reason, unrelated to SGA election considerations, for why the university needs more time.
Should it turn out however that the reason for requesting more time was the election, and if the articles prove to have been led by the current SGA President seeking re-election against the Vaqueros Movement slate, then the university would be intervening in student elections, or what some might call, “election interference,” in favor of one ticket, namely the one most favorable to it.
jonathansalinas@substack.com