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During the first week back from the summer, one Student Government Association senator could lose his job.
On Thursday, the Senate will vote whether or not to remove Sen. Webster Cook, College of Business Seat 1, from his position.
The charges, brought by former speaker of the senate and current SGA Official Anthony Furbush, stem from an incident earlier this summer where Cook attended a Catholic Mass on Campus and took the Eucharist, a sacred Catholic wafer.
Cook, whose incident with Catholic Campus Ministry made national headlines this summer, said that members of SGA in charge of his impeachment proceedings, are violating due process and not adhering to Student Government Statutes. However, SGA officials say they followed impeachment proceedings as detailed in the Student Government Statutes.
In Cook's recent accusations, he said Speaker of the Senate Brian Peterson, Senate Pro Temp Joseph Cowap and Legislative, Judicial and Rules Committee Chair Tommy Oreste held preliminary meetings during summer break in order to question witnesses in the event and gather testimony. Cook said the preliminary meetings are not provided for in Title VII of the statutes, which deals with impeachment procedures.
Cook said the preliminary meetings aren't fair play because statutes allow for the accused to have the opportunity to cross examine witnesses, which Cook said he can't do if he's not there. In addition, Cook said that he should have access to witness testimonies so that he can prepare for his hearing Thursday.
He said the preliminary meetings, which were not officially announced or open to him or the public, are politically motivated by alliances in Senate and a desire to kick him out of office.
"This is malice," Cook said. "They're not interested in finding the truth."
Cook said that even though he believes his impeachment is politically motivated, he expects the right to a fair hearing.
LJR Chair Tommy Oreste said the preliminary meetings don't need official meeting times or to be posted. When the Future asked Oreste for comment on whether or not preliminary meetings are provided for in the statutes, he said that the meetings are part of a precedent set by past Senate proceedings.
Cook said when he asked SGA for transcripts of the meetings, Peterson said they didn't have them but they we were working on transcribing them. Cook said he then made a formal request for the records. According to Government in the Sunshine Laws in Florida, which SGA follows, such meetings are public record.
In response to Cook's accusations, Oreste maintains that he, Peterson and Cowap have not broken any statutes.
"We are entirely neutral," Oreste said. "We don't really have a bias in this situation: we're doing our job."
Oreste said that "[Cook] might feel we're against him," but they're just doing their job.
"As the LJR chairman, I take my job very seriously, as does the Speaker of the Senate and Senate Pro Temp," Oreste said. "Part of our job description is complying with student government statutes in all aspects, and I feel that we have done so."
Peterson said he declined to comment, but he did prepare a statement for the Future.
"As far as the hearing process goes, at this point all policies and procedures have been followed to the best of my knowledge," Peterson said. "As far as commenting on that process, with the hearing still pending, it does not seem ethical to discuss any details that could detract from being able to uphold fair play within the investigation."
To remove Cook from office, it will take a two-thirds vote of the Senate. The hearing starts at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Key West Ballroom of the Student Union and is open to the public. ?
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