HarborTides

Posted in: News on 12/8/09 at 3:00 PM PST

Media Credit: Eddie Ruiz Vice president Steven Delgado looks on as Prsident Esteban Robledo argues his case

Associated Students Organization President Esteban Robledo, who has accused Advisor and Dean of Student Life Nina Malone of illegal use of student funds, survived a coup attempt in the Senate this afternoon (Dec. 8).

After a lengthy and sometimes cantankerous meeting that saw some Senators storm from the chamber, the fractious Senate did not take immediate action to remove Robledo.

But Robledo's tenure as president remains clouded. At one point during Tuesday's meeting, ASO Vice President Steven Delgado asked campus sheriffs to remove Robledo from the room because he was disruptive. They refused. A vote followed to remove Delgado as chair of the Senate. It also failed.

If recalled, Robledo would be the second student body president to challenge Malone in as many semesters. Rachael Richards was removed from office last spring after complaining, among other things, about misuse of student body funds. Richards attended today's meeting and spoke in support of Robledo.

Robledo contends that Malone has used student funds to hire a personal assistant. These funds were "unapproved and taken illegally," he said. Robledo also accused Malone of destroying audio recordings of Senate proceedings.

Robledo went on to say "any expenditures have to be allocated through student senate." He produced documents that purport to support his claim that he did not sign the personal service contracts and that his signature does not appear on documents used to pay the personal assistant.

"This is an illegal use of funds," he said.
According to regulations, the AS0 president is one of five individuals, including Malone and the college president, who must sign off on the use of student body funds.

Robledo originally presented his case at an Academic Senate meeting Nov. 19, where he accused Malone of renaming the "student services account" to "personal service contracts." The latter has been drained of $9,600 to this point, he said.

According to Robledo, the amount spent for the last academic year was only $11,800. He said that at this pace it will almost double by the end of this academic year.

Documents obtained by The Tides show the ASO budgeted $20,000 for student workers in 2009-2010, about one quarter of its nearly $90,000 total.

After Robledo informed the Associated Students Union at Los Angeles Valley College of his accusations, they along with the Executive Council decided to draft a letter in support. That was written Nov. 18.

Malone disregarded Robledo's charges and said she has not talked to him.

"I have never heard these accusations, or seen them in writing or even had a conversation with Esteban about this," she said. "I don't approve anything, the president and vice president [of the school] do."

Malone feels that Robledo is going to meetings and basically "bashing" her, she said. Malone was spotted at Tuesday's meeting, but did not remain long.

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