UNC Student Congress considers ethics

Members of Student Congress voted Tuesday to approve former speaker and current student body president candidate Joe Levin-Manning’s appointment to a seat on the ethics committee.

Levin-Manning has had run-ins with the committee this year. Several Congress members — the majority of whom support a rival campaign — have questioned his leadership of the body in light of his current bid for the executive office.

A group of five Student Congress members filed an ethics complaint on Nov. 19, four days before Levin-Manning resigned as speaker, complaining he did not behave ethically or competently in the role.

Three now work for student body president candidate Nash Keune’s campaign.

The complaint was dropped when Levin-Manning resigned as speaker. He was named to the ethics committee Tuesday because a seat was vacated when another member decided to study abroad.

The Student Code required that the senior-most member, Levin-Manning, fill the committee’s open seat.

“I’m not sure if he’s of the ethical standing to be on the ethics committee,” said finance committee chairman Zach Dexter, one of the original claimants who is working for Keune.

The ethics complaint argued Levin-Manning rarely attended committee meetings, failed to preserve decorum and did not consult proper procedure for conducting meetings.

In addition to the ethics complaint, two members of Congress filed a lawsuit against Levin-Manning in November, claiming he misinterpreted the law and changed the outcome of a vote. One works for Keune.

Deanna Santoro, rules and judiciary committee chairwoman during Levin-Manning’s term and a supporter of Hogan Medlin for student body president, said Levin-Manning did not attend committee meetings and made unpopular rulings.

But Levin-Manning said the complaint was not justified and that parts of it were taken out of context.

“I think that certain people were just very unhappy that I was elected speaker, especially when I made decisions that they didn’t necessarily agree with,” he said.

Anthony Dent, one of the claimants and a supporter of Keune, said an investigation of the former speaker’s term would have been important in light of Levin-Manning’s current campaign.

Another Congress member and Keune supporter said the complaint could foreshadow his ability to lead as student body president.

“I don’t think he deserves to be president because of the ethics complaint and his term as speaker,” said Justin Crowder, another one of the claimants also working for Keune.

Not all Congress members agreed. Tyler Aiken, candidate for senior class president and Keune supporter, said he thought the complaint was valid but that Levin-Manning was an effective leader.

Levin-Manning said he doesn’t think the complaint would adversely affect his campaign.

“If people really look at the complaint, I’ve done nothing wrong,” he said.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.