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SGA President Gallop Franklin impeached

Staff Writer

Published: Monday, November 16, 2009

Updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 14:11

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The Student Senate voted nine for and 16 against with zero abstentions to impeach SGA Student Body President Gallop Franklin Monday night.


Senate President Asia McFarland, a 21-year-old MBA student from Raleigh, N.C., said, "The motion against President Franklin was on the grounds of misfeasance and nonfeasance of duties because he has not appointed a chief justice in a timely fashion."


McFarland also said that the impeachment decision does not immediately remove Franklin from office but is only the first step in the official removal process.  To impeach an SGA officer only a one-third  vote in favor is needed to pass.


According to the SGA Constitution Title 10 Chapter 901.1 "Any elected or appointed officer of the student government may be removed from office by majority vote of students participating in referendum of the Student Government official's constituency."


Junior Senator Sammy Lamy, 20, an accounting student from Miami, said he does not feel the complaints were strong enough to elicit the impeachment decision, which sprung from a motion made by Graduate Senator Rondrea Mathis.


"I voted against [Franklin's impeachment] because I don't think there is a sufficient amount of evidence to remove him," Lamy said.  "He wasn't  there to defend himself."


While he admits that Franklin's failure to appoint a chief justice has affected some students, Lamy believes that more could have been done on the part of Student Government to rectify the situation.


Lamy said, "I feel like a lot of steps were skipped, we could've worked together more, we could've met with Gallop to find a solution."

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6 comments

rattler
Wed Nov 18 2009 23:21
there aren't even 9 deltas in senate so obviously other people thought he should have been impeached.

Also, every delta did NOT vote for his impeachment.

the issue is Gallop. He didnt put up the qualified person because she was a Delta. This is her FOURTH year in the branch. she is the only qualified person for the job. So who was Gallop serving?

Himself or his own "interest group"?

for example, why was tony brown (a part of his "interest group AphiA) put in his position (first year in sga) and the guy who had been in the department for years offered to be his Deputy (like the assistant)

easy: GALLOP was serving ALPHA NOT the students.

before he points his finger at anybody he should point it at himself

Thoroughly Upset
Wed Nov 18 2009 16:27
Did you know that one of his continuants attempted to contact and speak with him 4 times. None of that student's calls were returned. Now, I'm not saying Mr. Franklin had to return them himself, he could have had his VP or his Chief of staff do it. The fact is, no one for GNC contacted this young man for a month. Even though it's not in his duties to return all phone calls made to him, its out of respect for you the student he does these things. Former President Collins at the minimum had someone from his administration do that! Franklin is not running an effective Executive branch, he needs to be checked.
Did you know before he was the President, he was a senator. A senator who did nothing for the senate. A senator who hardly attend meetings on Monday nights. A senator who ONLY showed up when he though he would be removed from his senator seat.

Mr President is accusing others of the very thing he is guilty of doing. GNC=Friends and Favors Administration. To be frank, their administration is taking credit for things they are not doing. The Lyceum Series, what brought Ben Carson to FAMU, was funded by the 38th Student Senate and planned prior to the installation, not GNC. This stimulus money has yet to be distributed as of today. Where is that money? Did it go to members of "interest groups"?

Thoroughly Upset
Wed Nov 18 2009 16:26
As far as the Judicial Branch appointments, none of those he has appoint have made it through Elections and Appointment (E&A) interviews. For those of you who do not know, the E&A interviews all appointed officials, those who receive a favorable rating go before the senate for conformation. this process is put in the documents that govern SGA in order to have a checks and balance in SGA. What has happened now is the President has made countless and invalid excuses for why he has not appoint 4 Justices for the Supreme Student Court and fulfilling the vacancies in the traffic court. He is stalling so that the person who he appointed can see his appeal through with Student Affairs. This person who Franklin appointed was on the Judicial Branch, but left the Branch after he felt he could not move up with Magalie Yancthe as Chief Justice. Due to this, the Supreme Court does not have quorum {enough people on court to conduct business}. Due to not having the ability to conduct business, there is not Supreme Court. Your SGA President has disenfranchised the Judicial Branch. Any cases that may have gone to the Supreme Court, now goes to Student Affairs (people who are not students, but administrators) that's how you ended up with Cater, rather than Casteo as Miss Freshman Attendant.
So now people who are not students are getting involved and serving in capacities beyond their duties and powers. These are the same people who disregard the rulings of the Supreme Court every year. These are the same people who are telling the senators how to spend Carried Foreword dollars and how to vote during senate meetings. These are the same people who are trying to make SGA FULL who are trying to control your SGA, YOUR STUDENT LEADERS, YOUR MONEY, YOUR VOTE, YOUR UNIVERSITY. Wake you people, SGA president is only part of the problem. There has been a precedent of allowing SGA presidents to do what ever how ever they like. Checks and Balance is placed in the documents for a reason, to check people who over step their boundaries. Franklin is over stepping his boundaries, he needed to be checked!
Thoroughly Upset
Wed Nov 18 2009 16:20
Yes this interest group that President Franklin refers to is Delta Sigma Theta, however he pretends he has not given positions to member of his fraternity. A student who had worked as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Economic Development at first was chosen to serve as the Secretary of the department for GNC Administration. The student was later told that he would have to serve as the deputy because Tony Brown would be serving as the secretary. The reason they chose Mr. Brown over the student....because Mr. Brown was the Vice-President's linebrother and they "know" his work ethic. The Department of Economic Development has yet to do anything this year, whereas last year they had several seminars and events. You mean to tell me that someone who has been working in the department for the past two years and proving he is worthy to direct the Department should not have the position because you want to appoint your frat brother? It has taken Mr. President a full semester to fully appoint members for his own cabinet, is the student body going to allow for that to be acceptable?!?! In my humble opinion they should! You all should be out raged.
To You Above
Tue Nov 17 2009 16:11
John Williams
John
Tue Nov 17 2009 10:50
This article is factually inaccurate - mainly the headline. You should be reporting that the SGA president has been impeached, not that the impeachment process has started. Impeachment occurred when the senate passed, with at least a one-thirds vote, the motion by Senator Mathis. Maybe you meant to report that the process to remove the SGA president has started. The process to impeach is over and done with; he was impeached when the motion passed with at least a one-thirds vote.






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