Here is David's Letter.
I want to make you aware of a very serious situation. Last night, cheating was discovered that appears to support the OYL Forward candidate for Eastern Region at the AGM this weekend in Richmond Hill.
A fake email address was created to impersonate a Riding Association President. It was used to appoint 3 delegates by sending an email to the AGM's Chief Returning Officer. The Association President has confirmed that this is not his email address, and that he did not appoint these delegates. Like all of us, he is not pleased with how easily and carelessly the people responsible misrepresented themselves using his identity. If this happened once, how many other delegates were appointed fraudulently?
We may all be shocked, but we cannot allow ourselves to be shocked into silence. We as an organization cannot ignore proof of cheating. We must stand up. We deserve better and we can do better.
If you agree with me, please make your voices heard to ensure the integrity of the results of the AGM this weekend.
Furthermore, we ask that the AGM Returning Officer Brian Whitmore (oyl.cro.2010@gmail.com) re-verify all riding association appointees by scan or fax that includes the Riding Association President's selection, signature, and photocopy of ID.
Voice your desire for a fair, open, and accountable Annual General Meeting this weekend.
As Young Liberals in the political system, we learn responsibility quickly, and this is an unfortunate juncture in learning that.
Cheating cannot be tolerated within our commission. Join the fight for a fair, open and transparent Annual General Meeting.
Thank you –
David Valentin
OYL Student Director
Now, lets take a look at the alleged email sent by the Leeds Grenville Riding president.
So, there you have it, a gmail account, with numbers used to add delegates. It doesn't look like the email of a riding president who is a lawyer in the Brockville area. In fact, I have been told that this particular person has his secretary do his emailing for him. Here is an email sent by the riding president to the CRO for OYL 2010.
From: Janet Pepper [mailto:janet@gregorybestlaw.com]
Sent: March 11, 2010 11:19 AM
To: oyl.cro.2010@gmail.com
Cc: brenden.johnstone@gmail.com
Subject: Ontario Young Liberals - AGM
I have had a chance to review the email allegedly sent by me. It is not my email and was not sent by me.
Gregory O. Best
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.436 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2734 - Release Date: 03/11/10 07:33:00
Now, this email checks out. So by now, you are wondering, does Jamie know deepthroat, lets say that I have my sources, and that some youth seem to enjoy sending me stuff. They appreciate my discretion, and I get a good scoop. So you ask now, who are these people and who are they connected too.
Well, deepthroat, lets call her Deepthroat (any reference to Watergate is purely for ironic purposes) my source, happens to be facebook friends with members of the OYL forward slate, and all 3 of these people are non-political friends of the guy running for policy chair. So There you have it, the connection, from the slate to this gong show.
For me this is another reason why we should abolish the slate system in youth politics, it creates a hyper competitive environment where youth scheme up ways to screw over fellow young liberals. People should run on the power of their own campaign rather than as a team. If these teams don't play fair they should be kicked out of the league. Maybe some type of constitutional amendment may be in order, but till then I can complain from my soapbox.
PS: As of 8pm tonight, those 3 delegates have been disqualified.
The system only works if there are people there to make it accountable.
8 comments:
This is not cool. The OYL has always been criticized for things link this... isn't this a criminal offense? Fraud? Shouldn't the OYL Forward candidate be disqualified from running?
Whoa... are you kidding me? This is CRAZY! I would hope that the leader of OYL Forward resigns... somebody has to take responsibility for this.
The OYL exec should just be abolished already. Wasn't the head of this crowd's slate last year caught blatantly making fake delegate badges which led to her having to resign the Presidency? Wasn't there suspicions of similar stunts 2 years ago? Enough already, 3 years straight now of cheating, the OYL exec does nothing but give the party a bad name. Tell me what have they accomplished in the last year except for a single fundraiser that really had all the legwork done by OYL senators and not the exec themselves? The exec exists solely to promote themselves and their friends at the expense of everyone else. They get all the perks (internships, galla invites) while the real hard working volunteers who aren't "in" with this crowd get crumbs. They don't reward hard work which should be the foundation of all aspects of this party. No matter how little an exec member does they can still keep getting higher positions and be acclaimed just because of their connections if they want to.
So just abolish the whole exec already. Maybe the next LPCO AGM can see such an amendment come to the floor. The party would be better off including the youth.
It is sad, but unfortunately not surprising.
David Salter (the Eastern candidate) should resign from the race.
I feel sorry for the good people on the slate who had nothing to do with this but are not painted with the same brush.
Isn't this typical of Liberals? The party president didn't go through a proper nomination, why would anybody down the line expect to have to?
Jacki has confessed to faking the emails. As campaign manager for OYL FWD she should resign in discrace on her last day as EVP, LOL!
There's a reason I stopped following OYL politics.
So tell me, this isn't crooked with a straight face. Too many people who don't give a frig, who dont care who they hurt, who they deceive or give a dam about honesty. People without any class...a bunch of mongruls.
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