Academia, Free Speech, Politics

Impeachment Moves Into High Gear . . . At The University Of Florida

Those of us covering or listening to the Trump impeachment hearing yesterday may have missed the “other” impeachment story this week. At Gainsville, Florida, students are seeking to impeach student president Michael C. Murphy due to the invitation to Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend (and Trump campaign adviser) Kimberly Guilfoyle to campus for speeches on Oct. 10. The couple was paid $50,000 for the speeches. There are even allegations of “collusion.” Student senator Ben Lima declared that “Public records show that Michael Murphy colluded with a member of the Donald Trump campaign” on the event. However, a student newspaper is also reporting that Murphy also sought to have Bernie Sanders appear on campus.

A formal resolution of impeachment was submitted with the names of more than 100 students and alumni. The petitioners objected to the use of the student activity fees for what was deemed support for a political campaign. The problem is that Trump Jr. is hawking a new book and thus it is hard to characterize his speech as part of a political campaign. He is not a candidate and did not appear for the purpose of the campaign.

Adav Noti, senior director of the Campaign Legal Center and former legal counsel for the Federal Election Commission, said that there are legitimate concerns since “Campaign officials shouldn’t be giving paid speeches to charitable organizations. That shouldn’t be happening. So all the discussions about whether they broke the law or not shouldn’t obscure the bigger point that they just don’t care about the law.”

Once again, my primary concern is the consistency in this position. I do not recall objections to Chelsea Clinton giving speeches or even Hillary Clinton when she was clearly going to run. To this day, Clinton speeches are loaded with anti-Trump rhetoric but the speeches are not viewed as violating such political campaign rules.

The one countervailing concern in my view if the email reported by the student newspaper, The Alligator, where Murphy appears to coordinate on the event with Caroline Wren, national finance consultant for Trump Victory, a fundraising committee for the president’s campaign. That is problematic and worthy of inquiry. I fail to see why any campaign official should have been involved in such planning. Student also object the Murphy’s alleged ties to the Trump family.

The event draw a large crowd including protesters. That certainly achieved the purpose of having events that generate debates and passions. The couple did praise Trump but avoided any direct campaigning.

123 thoughts on “Impeachment Moves Into High Gear . . . At The University Of Florida”

    1. The speech was paid for by fees collect from students dedicated to bringing speakers on campus. There is no free speech issue.

      1. Anon1 – if the students are paying for speakers and then someone is going to be impeached for bringing the “wrong” speaker is absolutely a free speech issue. I know you cannot see beyond the end of your nose, however it is a free speech issue by trying to punish the person doing the hiring for “wrong” hiring of speakers. Hopefully this student will be represented by counsel from FIRE.

        1. The student is the President of the Student Body and his impeachment would be by the student government. I don’t know if he is allowed an attorney in that proceeding.

          WGAF?

  3. Pingback: Impeachment Moves Into High Gear . . . At The University Of Florida – Beaux Artists

  5. This all sounds stupid.

    While “consistency” is important.

    The actual rules and law matter two.

    Being a lawless ass consistently is not all that great.

    As best as I can tell no laws were broken.

    Donald Trump Jr. is not a political candidate – though certainly any speech will be political.

    But so would a speech By Chenk Urgur.

    Bernie sanders is an actual political candidate – if there is a bar on political candidates it would apply to him, but not to Donald Trump Jr.

    Political candidates should be allowed to speak at colleges – but they should do so for free.

    Frankly, I am not all that sure I like public colleges paying ANYONE to speak.

    1. The controversy isn’t about his right to be invited to speak, or request that ability, but his being paid by a program funded by student collected fees. There would be no controversy if he were Rand Paul or even Ann Coulter, who has spoken there. The controversy is over paying a billionaire with no life experiences or demonstrated wisdom who is the head of a political campaign pumping his new book.

          1. As I have noted previously, I haven’t been sued, make payroll every week, and I also built my 40+ year old business from the ground up by myself, with not even a loan.

            More importantly, unlike Don jr, I am not an AH and have a reputation for quality work and honesty.

            One assumes, based on his post that mespo also admires Alexander Soros and will buy his book if he writes one.

            1. More importantly, unlike Don jr, I am not an AH

              We often don’t see ourselves as others do.

              and have a reputation for quality work and honesty.

              Not on these boards you don’t.

              2. Tabby, you’re the Alexander Woolcott wanna-be. Surely you have the intellectual prowess to explain why Don Junior matters.

            3. Anon – you said your employee is so impoverished that he qualifies for Obamacare subsidies. That is not a business experience to brag about.

              1. Karen I answered you, but that cretin Darren removed my posts. How’s that for free speech? And you wonder why some of us occasionally disappear or change our names? I have a work around which he either hasn’t figured out or can’t do anything about, and so pop up again. It is frustrating to type a response and then have that JO erase it to protect you right wing snowflakes.

                In short, residential construction markets don’t support paying health insurance, and I’d price myself out of the market if I did. Wages are high however relative to other jobs for those without high education levels and it attracts free wheeling types.

                1. Anon, those of us with revolving names know this blog is nakedly hostile to liberals. A certain pious Catholic (who supports Donald Trump) has been allowed to engage in the most malicious antics here; plastering these threads with posts no reputable academic would tolerate. Yet this pious Catholic never has to change his name. But the target of those malicious posts has to change his name if he dares to even protest these filthy smears.

                  But hey, that’s Republican politics. And we’re supposed to wonder why college co-eds don’t want rightwing ideologues speaking on their campuses. Which goes to show how utterly clueless Republicans are. They can never understand why young people think of them as creeps.

                  1. We might add those trying to expose the whistle blower, a pointless but despicable act which even FB is trying to stifle, but which goes on here without consequence.

                    1. Who Eric Ciaramella?

                      https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/alleged-whistleblower-eric-ciaramella-was-biden-guest-at-state-department-banquet

                      You guys did prove in this thing, that Trump has a certain level of incompetence, for letting a single stay behind operator like this have any post whatsoever in the White House.

                      Presidents from here on out will be operating with increased personal security infrastructure, since the Deep State- CIA and other alphabet soup agencies can’t be trusted. Great job Brennan and other coup plotters! Want to see how low they can go? I guess we’ll find out!

                  2. Actually there are a lot of young Republicans on campus but they get tons of harassment. For example the beauty queen of Michigan, a Chinese American, Kathy Zhu, who goes to U of M, was harassed with anonymous handbills posted all over campus calling her a “white supremacist.” Figure that one out!

                    The administration does nothing to stop it.

                    Boys have already seen the writing on the wall and are increasingly avoiding university altogether now, since they don’t want to subject themselves to 4 years of ritual humiliations.

                    https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2019/05/30/college-enrollment-spring-2019-the-downward-slide-continues/#54ad307536ce

                    the gross incompetence of university adminstrators and trustees the past several decades can hardly be understated!

            4. It also doesn’t matter if you would have invited Don Trump, Jr or not. He had the right to invite him.

              This is once again the political targeting of conservatives, with a laser focus on anything Trump. Ridiculous.

              People are getting so worked up over things that don’t matter. Revenge impeachment over inviting Trump, Jr is so petty and entitled. This generation will be remembered for its neurosis, safe spaces, attacks on speech, and school shootings.

              1. I answered this one too but Darren the cretin strikes again. The student body president is not a dictator an members of the government disagree with you. If Don jr wants to come speak from a soapbox on the sidewalk, I’m sure he can.

      2. If only Don Jr. followed Joe and Hunter’s tried and true approach in the Ukraine. Or Bill’s model for earning a $500K speaking fee right after Hillary’s Uranium One deal with the Russians. Or even Chelsea’s book tour with her mom. So many ways to make an honest buck, and Trump takes money from the Gators. What was he thinking????

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