Marquette University Student Government President Adam Kouhel avoided investigation for impeachment after a 16-7 vote denying the motion to investigate.
“I feel relieved,” said Kouhel. “Now MUSG can focus on the need, concerns and initiatives of the student body.”
Two weeks ago, MUSG Senator Roberto Santos released a letter he wrote to the judicial administrator voicing his concerns about Kouhel, and requesting an investigation for impeachment against the MUSG president.
Santos read his letter to the Senate Monday night accusing Kouhel of misallocating funds to organizations and pressuring senators to push for removal of other council members.
“I am 100 percent confident in the allegations I brought forward,” said Santos. “This is about accountability.”
Senators discussed the impeachment motion and allegations against Kouhel during the nearly two hour meeting. Senators debated and questioned Santos and the other senators’ involvement with the allegations.
Kouhel mentioned to the Senate how the allegations have negatively effected his mental health and gained the attention of administrators.
“I had President Lovell calling me at 11 p.m. asking me what is going on in our organization,” he said. “There were some nights that I just went home and cried about this.”
Senator Blake Ruppe supported Santos’ allegations against Kouhel, particularly one dealing with Kouhel’s involvement with the Student Organization Funding committee’s fall bulk funding period.
“When I had the information first presented to me, I thought of myself representing the organization,” Ruppe said. “I did not want to deal with internal problems but I do want to look at the organizations that were being misallocated funds.”
Ruppe was on the SOF committee responsible for allocating funds to student organizations last fall, and at the time “trusted the accuracy of (former) EVP Kouhel and (former financial vice president) Cameron Vrana.”
“I want to do what’s good for our campus and our community and I want to hold that person accountable, and I don’t care what position they hold, is being held accountable,” he added.
Senators Blake Hartman and Christian Evans viewed the allegations as a waste of time and “internal issues” that distracted senators from furthering work for campus and student development.
“We just spent an hour discussing these allegations that are baseless,” said Evans. “It is very clear to me and the majority of this room that these allegations are baseless and that they mean nothing.”
Senator Hartman lead initial questioning of the senators involved in the allegations and was called out of order for calling the motion a “crock of s—.”
“I’m working on legislation right now,” Hartman said. “I won’t be able to work on legislation how I want to or my school work if I am focused on this.”
Tensions were high in the room during the debate and when the written vote was read out loud. The vote confirmed Kouhel would not be undergoing an investigation.
“I am excited to move forward from this,” Kouhel said. “This has been a distraction and I encourage students to contact me if they have any questions.”
