Final Report

Board of Finance Financial Investigation into President Desann Chin-Carty
FULL REPORT
Approved on 02/04/2020 at 12:25 a.m.
Presented to the Senate on 02/05/2020
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Table of Contents
SUMMARY OF FACTS ............................................................................................................................. 3
ALLEGATIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 8
FINDINGS .................................................................................................................................................... 9
BOARD RECCOMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................ 16
APPENDIX AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ................................................................................. 19
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SUMMARY OF FACTS
According to Article IV Section 6 Subsection 1 of the Student Association Constitution, The Chairperson
of the Board of Finance shall be empowered to call emergency meetings of the Board of Finance. As is
the case, Chairman Samuel Salazar called an emergency session of the Board of Finance of the Student
Association on Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 5:00 pm. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss
budgetary business regarding the rescheduling of our Mandatory Budget Orientation, which was canceled
due to inclement weather, to review two contracts, and to conduct a review of credit card statements.
At 5:30 p.m. the Board of Finance, including Comptroller Tony Kelley as an ex-officio member, went
into executive session to conduct a review of credit card statements. Bylaw 521.3.1 states that each
monthly statement and all applicable records shall be reviewed by the Board of Finance. During the
Board of Finance s revie of President Desann Chin-Cart s credit card statements, e found hat e
considered to be questionable charges.
Typically, when a member of the Board of Finance has a question regarding credit card charges, they
defer to the Comptroller for an explanation. At the time of our December 8, 2019 meeting, the
Comptroller of the Student Association was unable to e plain the charges to the President s credit card.
This prompted a motion to conduct a financial investigation into President Chin-Carty, a motion to
subpoena President Chin Carty to testify, and a motion to freeze The Student Association Operating
Office Supplies and The Office of the President s Discretionar budget lines. The three motions ere
seconded with no objections, were passed unanimously, and thus were adopted by the Board of Finance.
The Board of Finance s po er to conduct financial investigations is established in b la 500.6.1.1, hich
states,
To fulfill its purpose and responsibilit , the Student Association Board of Finance shall be
empowered to investigate all financial matters of the Student Association. To facilitate this, the
Board of Finance shall have the ability to subpoena Student Association financial documents and
itnesses.
This bylaw thus justifies the motion to subpoena President Chin-Carty to testify before the Board of
Finance. The purpose of the subpoena is to allow the President to explain the suspicious credit card
purchases to the Board of Finance, thus ensuring a fair investigation with due process and a presumption
of innocence. The Board of Finance s po er to freeze budgets is outlined in bylaw 501.1, which states
The Comptroller of the Student Association and the Board of Finance shall free e the budget of
any organization or activity constituted and financed in whole, or in part, by the Student
Association that is found to be in violation of any part of this policy. All budget freezes by the
Comptroller and the Board of Finance must be reported to the Student Association Senate.
As the Board of Finance is required to report all budget freezes to the Student Association Senate, we
drafted a memo on Sunday, December 8, 2019 informing the Senate of the three passed motions. The
Board of Finance leadership deemed this especially necessary as the Fall 2019 semester was coming to a
close, and we otherwise would not have been able to inform the Student Association Senate of the three
passed motions until the next session on January 22nd, 2020. The Board of Finance sent this memo to
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Senate Chairman Nicholas Chin on the following business day, Monday, December 9th, 2019. As per
Chairman Sala ar s request, Chairman Chin sent this memo to the legislative branch via his Senate
listserv, thus making the memo and its contents public. This action was taken to ensure organizational
transparency and cooperation within the Student Association.
Following the launch of the investigation into President Chin-Carty, it came to the attention of
Comptroller Kelley on December 16th, 2019 that the President had attempted to get a new credit card for
Vice President Ariel Nunez at University Auxiliary Services (UAS). Bylaw 521.1.1 states that
The Board of Finance can authori e a credit card ith a t o-thirds (2/3) vote of all members
present and voting. Authorization must then be confirmed with a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the
Student Association Senate s members present and voting.
The Board of Finance Chair as promptl notified of the President s actions b Comptroller Kelle on
December 16, 2019.
The Board of Finance Chairman met with the President of the Student Association on December 11, 2019
at around 11:10 a.m.1 During that meeting the Chairman Salazar was asked questions regarding the
investigation. A verbal exchange occurred in which the President called the Chairman conceited and
began to attack the quality of the job that the Chairman was doing. The Chair left the meeting after the
President called the investigation a witch hunt. The terminolog of this is substantiated in the testimon
the President gave to the Board of Finance on January 30th, 20202.
During the Winter Break, the Board of Finance was not in session. The Board of Finance was under no
obligation to meet since the Student Association, including the Senate, which is our immediate body, does
not conduct business while classes are not in session.
On January 26, 2020 the Chairman Salazar called a meeting for the Board of Finance to review every
purchase made by the President since May 1, 2019, which is the start of the Presidential term. The Board
of Finance began by reviewing purchases made on the Amazon account. This was made possible by the
Comptroller providing the log in information before the Board of Finance. Access to the account and all
relating information was granted to the Board of Finance with full compliance and no resistance by the
Comptroller of the Student Association.
The Board of Finance reviewed each purchase and flagged a total of 11 Amazon purchases that were
deemed questionable. The Board of Finance also reviewed all credit card statements since May 1, 2019
and flagged a total of nine charges for questioning. Per Article IV Section 4 Subsection 2 of the Student
Association Constitution,
1 See email from Shannon

2 See Presidential Testimony
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The Board of Finance shall be empo ered to inquire and investigate an and all transactions
made by the Office of the Comptroller of the Student Association. The Board of Finance shall
oversee the Student Association budget and ensure that it is followed.
This justifies why the Board of Finance flagged these purchases. The charges were deemed questionable,
and there as inadequate information presented to the Comptroller s office and the Board of Finance in
the MyInvolvement system. The Student Association uses Purchase Requests (PRs) to record all the
purchases for student organizations and internal purchases including the credit card. The Comptroller of
the Student Association provided MyInvolvement access to the Board of Finance immediately and with
full compliance at the January 26, 2020 meeting. The Board of Finance still determined these purchases
questionable even with the PR information recorded. This brings the total number of flagged purchases to
20. Of those 20 flagged purchases, 10 transactions were recorded without a proper PR number. The other
10 purchases were recorded with a PR and were provided to the Board of Finance. The total amount for
the transactions totaled exactly $2,822.42 and the total amount for the flagged items was $1,347.18.
Please note that many of these orders overlap in categories. Please note there are additional items
included in each order and each purchase order was reviewed item-by-item by the Board of Finance.
During the January 26, 2020 meeting, a motion passed to subpoena Vice-President Ariel Nunez to testify
before the Board of Finance. The Vice-President was notified the following day and fully complied with
the subpoena. In addition, since there was a suspicious purchase related to the Executive Branch potluck
held early in the Fall 2019 semester, materials and conversations relating to that event were surrendered
to the Board of Finance by the former Chief of Staff to the President Amy Zhang via a Subpoena from the
Board of Finance. The Board of Finance identified a person of interest in attendance at the Executive
Branch potluck who voluntarily testified to the Board of Finance. The person of interest informed the
Board of Finance that they would be testifying the following meeting. Following this, The Board of
Finance adjourned until January 30th, 2020 to hear testimony.
On January 30th, 2020 the Board gaveled in to hear testimony from three individuals: The President of the
Student Association, The Vice-President of the Student Association, and the Person of Interest. Prior to
the hearing of testimony, the Chairman Salazar read regulations on how to conduct questions in
workplace investigations. The Chairman relayed that if anyone asked a question that was unprofessional
or violated and bylaws of the Student Association, they would be ruled out of order in order to give
respect to those testifying.
The President was the first individual to testify to the Board of Finance. Following a vote by the Board of
Finance to allow the President s legal counsel enter executive session, The President and her legal counsel
were invited to come in by the Chairman. The Chairman then proceeded to swear in the witness by
administering the follo ing oath: Do ou solemnly swear or affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth under pains and penalties of perjur ? The President then responded in the
affirmative. The President was asked by Board members about each purchase one by one [The answers
and evaluations of each purchase can be found in the Findings Section on page 8. During the President s
opening statement, she claimed that she had no idea why the investigation was launched, despite the
public memo and multiple email exchanges about it. Additionally, the President brought a credit card
statement to aid her in her testimony. Her testimony involved character attacks and many Board of
Finance members noted that the President showed an unprofessional and disrespectful tone. This caused
some Board members to feel emotionally unpleasant.
The President left the room at the end of questioning but was noted to have dropped her phone with the
intent to listen in on the executive session through her AirPods. Board member Simon and Senate
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Chairman Nicholas Chin then reported this to the Board of Finance. After some deliberation the Board of
Finance voted unanimously to recognize that action as tampering with and obstructing the investigation,
testimony, and rules of the Board of Finance as there was a possibility information was being disclosed
outside of an executive session.
Following the testimony of the President, The Person of Interest entered to testify. The individual was
sworn in by the Chair of the Board of Finance and answered in the affirmative. The individual was asked
questions relating to the Executive Branch s potluck event. The individual testified that it was advertised
as an Executive Branch event where people bring their own food that they purchased with their own
money. The individual brought food to the potluck purchased with their personal money and noted that
the other attendees did as well. The individual was then showed a receipt for the potluck event and was
asked to identify food(s) and/or ingredients(s) that were used in the potluck by the President. The
individual identified items on the Walmart receipt that were not at the potluck. The individual noted that it
was "disrespectful and shameful for Student Association funds to have been spent for this event, seeing
that it was an exclusive event for Executive Branch bonding.
Following the testimony of the Person of Interest, The Vice President entered to testify. The Vice-
President was sworn in by the Chair of the Board of Finance and answered in the affirmative. The Vice-
President was asked questions relating to the Executive Branch s potluck as well as the numerous
Amazon and credit card purchases. The Vice-President noted that items were not used during the potluck.
In addition, the Vice President noted that the directors and all who attended were understood to bring their
own food bought with their personal money. The Vice President did not believe Student Association
funds should have been spent for this event. Following questioning regarding the Executive Branch
potluck, The Vice President was then questioned about the suspicious charges on the President s credit
card and Amazon account.
The Board then adjourned until Sunday February 2, 2020 for deliberation.
The Board of Finance gaveled in on Sunday February 2nd, 2020 to complete the investigation. First, the
Board went through each list item to determine whether or not the questionable charges fell into three
categories: Not Applicable, Inconclusive, Neglect of Duty, or Abuse of Power. Not Applicable is defined
as a charge or charges that the Board after deliberation decided not to pursue under the first flagging
category after hearing testimony and looking at evidence. Inconclusive means the Board flagged the
purchase(s) however there is very little or no evidence about the charge and the Board cannot make a
determination. Neglect of duty is defined by the Board as the omission of an official to put the financial
interest and stability of the Student Association first. Abuse of Power is defined as using the assets,
finances, and powers of the student association or related office for personal gain, adjustment or
motivation. The Board determined the following categories for the items:
Not Applicable: 3 items
Inconclusive: 6 items
Abuse of Power: 10 items
Neglect of Duty: 8 items
Abuse of Power and Neglect of Duty: 2 items
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Following these categorizations, the Board of Finance went into deliberation on the recommended options
to send to the Student Association Senate. The first recommendation was that the Board of Finance drafts
bylaw revisions to the credit card and purchase request system. This draft will be sent to the Student
Association Senate as soon as possible. The second recommendation was the impeachment of the
President of the Student Association on the grounds of Abuse of Power and Neglect of Duty. The abuse
of power is in relation to the abuse of presidential and cardholder duties. Please see the findings for a
detailed description of the Board s deliberation. The Neglect of duty is in relation to the neglect for the
financial interest and stability of the student association through the misuse of the credit card and Amazon
account. For a detailed listing of all the purchases, please refer to the Findings of this report.
The recommendation votes were as follows:
Bylaw revamp: Unanimous

Impeachment: 5-0-2
After this the Board adjourned until February 3rd, at 10 PM to draft and approve the report, the
impeachment request, and any other associated material related to the investigation to be presented to the
Student Association Senate.
The Board gaveled in on February 3rd, 2020 at 10 PM to complete the final steps of the financial
investigation into President Desann Chin-Carty. The Board approved the report in a vote of:
and was sent to the Student Association Senate at: 11:59 PM
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ALLEGATIONS
1. Abuse of the Student Association Credit Card
2. Abuse of Cardholder and Presidential Power
3. Neglect of Cardholder duties
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FINDINGS
T e e e ea eB a d F d g b e d b PR be ( f a cab e) a d e . T e f a
summary of these can be found in the recommendation.
AMAZON PURCHASES
PR 25656 GLADE ORDER

Amount: $58.71
Category: Abuse of Power
Reasoning: The President testified that this purchase was meant to prevent triggering
asthmatics in the office. The Vice President testified that he did not know these were used
in the office. This was categorized as Abuse of Power because a purchase was made from
the Office Supplies line for an item that is not considered office supplies
PR 25435 Mouse Traps, Tape, and Lightning Cables
Amount: $28.98
Category: Neglect of Duty
Reasoning: The entire order is considered a neglect of duty because the order was
unapproved by the Comptroller.
PR 25435 Mouse Traps and Lightning Cables
Amount: $28.98
Reasoning: The President testified that she purchased the mouse traps because there were
mice in the office. The Comptroller approved a different set of mouse traps. The Vice
President, Chairman Chin, and Former Vice Chairman McCracken said they have not
seen the mouse traps in the office. The President testified that she ordered lightning
cables for directors to replace ones that went missing. The Vice President testified that he
did not hear about lightning cords for directors or about any cords going missing. This
was categorized as an abuse of power because the products purchased were not seen in
the office, leading some members of the Board of Finance to consider this a personal
order.
PR 25247 Nesting table
Amount: $104.99
Reasoning: The nesting table was purchased on October 30, 2019. The refund date was
December 9, 2019. It is worth noting that the refund date is one day after the Board of
Finance launched its investigation into President Chin-Carty. According to the credit card
statements from SEFCU, the refund reached the account on December 10, 2019. The
President testified that she returned the table and bought it with her own money,
indicating that she knew this purchase would be questionable. The President testified that
she purchased it on the Student Association credit card initially because she thought the
gold color made the office more inviting to students and exuded school pride, as it is one
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of the Universit at Alban s school colors. The Vice President testified that it is not
necessar to get items in the Universit s colors if it means that more mone ill be
spent. He also testified that the style of the desk was not necessary to the Student
Association, and that 80% of the time he sees the President only using one of her desks,
which is the brown one directly next to her fridge. This was categorized as an abuse of
power because it was an unnecessary purchase and did not follow competitive pricing.
PR BREAST CANCER
Amount: $24.88
Reasoning: When asked why there was no numerical PR used for this order, the President
testified that Shannon Beal (Executive Office Manager) puts a note in the PO on
Amazon, and the PR is generated afterwards. However, the first step to placing an order
on Amazon is to enter the PO, which is first generated by submitting a PR on
MyInvolvement. The Vice President was unaware of this purchase. It was categorized as
a neglect of duty because there was no numerical PR entered.
PR 24530 Wall Art, Gold Acrylic Calendar, Gold Trash Cans, and Gold Desk Accessories
Item: Wall Art
Amount: $89.90
Category: Not Applicable
Reasoning: This product was returned immediately upon delivery. In the
President s testimon , she described the item as looking cheap. In a 5-1-1 vote,
the Board of Finance deemed this as not applicable.
Item: Gold Acrylic Wall Calendar
Amount: $99.99
Category: Not Applicable
Reasoning: The President testified that she could find calendars that were
cheaper than $100, but they did not match what she wanted. The President
testified that this was returned alongside the Wall Art and purchased with her
own money. The Vice President testified that there is a similar calendar in the
office, but it is not this one. In accordance with the same logic used to categorize
the Wall Art, the Board of Finance deemed this as not applicable in a 5-1-1 vote.
Item: Matte Brass Trash Cans
Amount: $30.00
Category: Inconclusive
Reasoning: The Board of Finance flagged these for review but could not come to
a determination on the item. There were 2 trash cans purchased at $15 each. The
president testified that the gold-colored trash can was for her office and its
purpose was to match school colors. The Vice President testified that he did see a
gold-colored trash can in her office, but that he does not think school colors
should justify spending more money. Senate Chairman Chin noted that he has
seen one gold-colored trash can in the President s office, but he did not see a
second one. It was noted that there are trash cans in the Student Association
office already provided by Campus Center Management. It was also noted that
the order did not follow competitive pricing. Still, the Board of Finance could not
come to a conclusion on this item, so it was marked as inconclusive.
Item: Gold Desk Accessories
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Amount: $27.98
Reasoning: The Gold Desk Accessories appear to have been purchased twice.
The President testified that they were not purchased twice. This was unanimously
considered an abuse of power.
PR (SEFCU) 5 Subject Notebook
Amount: $13.69
Category: Neglect of Duty and Abuse of Power
Reasoning: The President testified that this notebook was used for meetings with the Vice
President and Directors. The Vice President testified that he has never seen the President
use that notebook in a meeting, noting that she usually uses her laptop. The testimonies of
the President and Vice President are in direct conflict with one another. The President
testified that she does not know where the notebook is now. This was unanimously
categorized as an abuse of power because it seems as though the notebook was for
personal use, and it was unanimously categorized as a neglect of duty due to a lack of a
numerical PR.
NO PR Desk, Chair and Milk
Item: Entire order
Amount: $322.83
Reasoning: The Board of Finance unanimously categorized the order as a neglect
of duty due to a lack of a numerical PR.
Item: Desk
Amount: $79.00
Reasoning: There was no PR for this order despite the President testifying
otherwise. The style of the desk was not standard. The Board of Finance
unanimously voted to deem this an abuse of power.
Item: Chair
Amount: $53.08
Reasoning: There was no PR for this order despite the President testifying
otherwise. The Vice President testified that it is unnecessary to get new chairs if
there are already chairs in the office. The Board of Finance unanimously voted to
deem this an abuse of power.
Item: Milk
Amount: $25.32
Reasoning: The President testified that the milk was purchased for the office. The
Vice President testified that he saw milk in the kitchen and fridge of the office.
The Comptroller noted that he saw milk that was meant for the office in the
President s personal kitchen. The Board of Finance unanimousl deemed this as
inconclusive.
PR 24525 Closet
Amount: $38.99
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Reasoning: The President testified that the closet was originally meant to be in the
hallway for students to put their coats in it. She testified that the closet was in the SA
office but could not confirm its exact location. The President testified that the closet is
not being used for its initial purpose because the intended space is not clear. The Vice
President testified that the President said the space would be designated for directors to
leave their professional wear, but that he has not seen it in the office. Three members of
the Board of Finance searched in the office s storage for the closet but did not find it.
Given that the closet is not being used for its originally stated purpose, the Board of
Finance unanimously voted to categorize this as a neglect of duty.
PR 24236 Steamers, Gold Tray, Wax, Candle Warmers
Item: 2 Steamers
Amount: $50.98
Reasoning: There were two steamers purchased on the Amazon account: One
was black/grey and the other was white. The President testified that the black
steamer was in the office and used for steaming professional wear. Next, when
the Board of Finance inquired about the white steamer (more specifically, if two
steamers were purchased), the President testified that the black steamer was
returned and is no longer in the Student Association office. The Vice President
testified that there is only one steamer in the office, but at the time of his
testimony he could not remember which steamer it was. Only one steamer is seen
in the office, but there were two purchased with no refunds. Therefore, the Board
of Finance unanimously categorized this as a neglect of duty.
Items: Gold Tray, Wax, and Candle Warmers
Amount: $73.96
Reasoning: The President testified that these were office supplies; the Board of
Finance disagrees. Therefore, these items were unanimously categorized as an
abuse of power.
PR END OF YEAR 19
Items: Entire Order
Amount: $1,291.86
Reasoning: The President claimed she did not place this order. The entire order
was unanimously deemed a neglect of duty due to the lack of a numerical PR.
Item: Glow in the Dark Pebbles
Amount: $9.99
Reasoning: The President testified that the glow in the dark pebbles were for her
personal fountain to destress her. When asked if she thinks these are valid office
supplies, the President responded that she needs them to operate functionally.
When asked if she thinks she can buy anything to work better, the President
responded in the affirmative. This bothered members of the Board of Finance.
This was unanimously deemed an abuse of power.
Item: Essential Oils, Diffuser, and Gold Computer Risers
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Amount: $145.35
Reasoning: The President testified that the essential oils and diffuser were
purchased as office supplies. The Vice President testified that he has never seen
essential oils or a diffuser being used in the office. At first, the President testified
that she did not buy the gold computer risers and they were supposed to be
returned. Upon further questioning, the President testified that the gold risers
were purchased for her desk, and cheaper alternatives did not match what she
anted. The Vice President noted that the President s desk is wide, so it made
sense to have two risers, but that did not justify the price. This was unanimously
deemed an abuse of power.
Item: Gold Magazine Holder
Amount: $75.96
Reasoning: There were two magazine holders purchased at $37.98 each. The
President testified that she could not find cheaper alternatives but did not take
responsibility for the cost of the purchase, either. The Amazon account shows
that three of these items were purchased in total, which prompted a member of
the Board of Finance to ask the President how many magazine holders were
purchased, to which she replied that she did not know. The Vice President
testified that he has seen the magazine holders, but not three sets. This order did
not follow competitive pricing. It was unanimously deemed an abuse of power.
PR 23938 White Adapter
Amount: $17.49
Category: Not applicable
Reasoning: The President testified that she used this adapter for her personal computer in
the Summer and that she used it during presentations and training. The Vice President
testified that he has never seen the item used in the Student Association office, but that he
has seen the President use it for presentations. In a 3-2-2 vote, the Board of Finance
deemed this item as not applicable.
CREDIT CARD PURCHASES
BJ s Membership
Amount: $70.20
Reasoning: The Board of Finance Vice Chair oman called BJ s Wholesale Club to
inquire about the price of a personal membership and business membership. A personal
membership costs $65 plus tax. As a nonprofit organization, the Student Association does
not pay tax. A business membership costs $110. It is clear from the receipt provided on
M Involvement that this purchase as a personal BJ s membership. The Board of
Finance unanimously categorized this as an abuse of power.
Cheesecake Factory
Amount: $22.00
Reasoning: The President testified that this purchase was made accidentally on the
Student Association credit card. She testified that she brought the credit card off campus
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because she was not comfortable paying out of pocket for things and waiting to be
reimbursed by the Student Association. The Board of Finance categorized this as neglect
of duty because the credit card was taken out of the office and off campus.
Shun s Kitchen
Amount: $8.00
Reasoning: This charge was for a personal meal ordered by the President. The
President testified that she was having a meeting with SUNY University at
Buffalo Student Association President and Vice President after a SUNY SA
Conference, but the receipt shows it was ordered at 1:24 a.m. and delivered at
1:57 a.m. The SUNY SA Conference was held at the Hilton in Downtown
Albany. The Comptroller is on the record saying that it was unnecessary to take
the credit card out of the office for the conference, as well as that the SUNY
Buffalo Student Association Vice President was not in attendance at the
conference. The Board of Finance unanimously categorized this as an abuse of
power.
Category: Neglect of duty
Reasoning: The Board of Finance unanimously categorized this as a neglect of
duty to the fact that the President took the credit card out of the Student
Association office and off campus.
PR 24749 518 Market Milk
Amount: $3.29
Reasoning: The President testified that the milk was purchased with former Director of
Public Relations Malik Dorant to make hot chocolate for the students. The Vice President
testified that he saw milk in the kitchen and fridge of the office, which could have been
from this purchase or from the milk purchased on Amazon without a PR. The Board of
Finance unanimously categorized this this as inconclusive.
PR 24803 Walmart Potluck Receipt
Amount: $161.36
Category: Abuse of Power and Neglect of Duty
Reasoning: According to the PR description and the testimonies of the President, Vice
President, and the Person of Interest, this receipt was for the Executive Branch Potluck
event held on September 24, 2019. The President testified that she bought food for the
potluck on the Student Association credit card at Walmart. This is another example of
President wrongfully bringing the credit card off campus. The President testified that
everything on the receipt was used for the potluck. The Person of Interest testified that at
least four items were not present at the potluck: orange juice, pasta sauce, ground beef,
and basmati rice. The Vice President s testimon , hich happened after and separatel
from the Person of Interest s testimon , did not conflict. The Vice President and the
Person of Interest both testified that the event was advertised for directors to bond. The
two testified that each person was supposed to bring a food item purchased their own
money. The two both testified that Student Association funds should not have been used
for this event. The Person of Interest said the receipt being charged under the Student
Association credit card is both disrespectful and shameful. The President testified that
she had the Vice President put the purchase in for reimbursement; his testimony conflicts
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with that statement. Lastly, the Vice President testified that he put in the PR for this
purchase because the President mentioned that he could put it under his discretionary
line. The Board of Finance unanimously categorized this as an abuse of power and
neglect of duty.
Paesan s Pi a
Amount: $115.45
Reasoning: The President testified that she did not order the pizza and she did not know
who ordered the pizza. There was no PR entered for this order. The Board of Finance
unanimously categorized this as a neglect of duty.
123 Personality Test
Amount: $14.99
Reasoning: The President testified that this was for staff development. The former
executive branch officers on the Board of Finance noted that this test was free to take.
The President testified that while the test was free, she needed to pay for the reports of
the staff results. The former executive branch officers on the Board of Finance noted that
each director was instructed to turn in their personality test results via email, thus
conflicting ith the President s statements. The Board of Finance unanimousl
categorized this as inconclusive.
SECURUS Inmate Call
Amount: $48.00
Reasoning: This charge entered the Student Association s SEFCU credit card account on
December 14, 2019. It is worth noting that this was after the Board of Finance launched
its financial investigation into the President on December 8, 2019. The charge did not
have a PR. The Office of the Comptroller called the company through which the inmate
call was made but was not granted the information of who made the call. The President
testified that she did not recognize the purchase and does not know anyone in jail. At this
time, the Board of Finance does not have adequate information to disprove credit card
fraud. Therefore, the Board of Finance unanimously categorized this as inconclusive.
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BOARD RECCOMENDATIONS
The Board of Finance recommends the following to the Student Association Senate:
1. That the Senate review, revamp and enforce the Student Association Financial Bylaws
a. Explanation It is very clear from the evidence that the Board of Finance saw multiple
bylaws being broken. Most notably were bylaw sections 502 and 521. These bylaws were
clearly broken as the PR process was not adhered to. In many instances the Board of
Finance found PRs in which the description was: Missing, Incomplete, Vague, or a
combination. The President also disregarded the approval process without formal
consultation. The Board of Finance believes that consultation does not constitute any
form of communication outside of official SA email unless it was an extenuating
circumstance. The Board believes that none of these expenses were extenuating and the
formal consultation process should have occurred. In relation to the Credit Card bylaws,
it was clear that the president did not use the credit cards in an emergency. For online
purchases, it was clear again that there was no consultation to the purchase. This posed a
dangerous concern to the Board of Finance because the President was able to use the
credit card without any process. We recommend to the Senate that the Board of Finance
develop a better PR approval process for the credit cards to expedite purchases and
ensure that the credit cards are not easily accessible without going through internal
controls first.
2. That the Senate impeach the President of the Student Association for:
a. Neglect of Duty The neglect of duty is defined as the omission to perform a duty.
Neglect of duty has reference to the neglect or failure on the part of a public officer to do
and perform some duty or duties laid on them as such by virtue of his office or which is
required of them by the bylaws3. The President neglected her duties in two ways. The
first was through the credit cards. The President endangered the entire financial integrity
of the Student Association by taking the Student Association Credit card outside of the
Student Association office. Even if it was in the possession of the President, the risk of
losing, compromising, or misusing the credit card and mistaking it for one s o n e ists.
It is dangerous for an official to take around asset of the Student Association outside of
the office. The second was through Amazon. The President did not put the financial
interest of Student Association first when making certain purchases on Amazon. The
Student Association has a very limited budget, especially when it comes to items such as
office supplies. Having office supplies that can t be found in the Student Association
office is a concern to the Board of Finance. This causes doubt in whether the purchases
were indeed made for the whole Student Association office or for only one individual.
Also, the President did not try to look for cheaper alternatives. While the Board of
Finance does agree that it is good for the Student Association to spend money, it must be
done so in a fiscally sound way. For example, each purchaser should look for the
cheapest option so that more items can ordered in the future and to not drain budget lines.
For example, there were multiple purchases that had very expensive items, despite those
3 Adopted by the Board of Finance
16
items being listed at cheaper rates. While we do understand the importance of quality, it
is important to add that the Student Association has limited funds and cannot be seen as
an institution that purchases based on personal preferences.
b. Abuse of Power Abuse of Power is defined as using the office and/or powers of the
office for personal gain or any personal motivation4. This is one of the most dangerous
actions any official, elected or appointed, can take within the Student Association. Based
on the evidence it is clear that the President of the Student Association abused the power
of the Presidency. This first began with the access to the credit card. The Student
Association credit card is a privilege, not a necessity. It is only used in times of
emergency and for online purchases. The Board of Finance looked at instances of this
abuse with the physical credit card. The Student Association credit card should not have
been taken out of the office simply because there was no other form of payment. This
happened at the alleged meeting with the SUNY University at Buffalo Student
Association executive team. In addition, the President used the credit card to purchase
items that were personal. The Board of Finance acknowledges the fact that everyone
operates in different capacities and in different styles. For example, there is nothing
wrong with decorating your office. However, décor should all be brought in using
personal funds. The office supplies line should not have been used in this case since all
purchases made by Student Association should be made with the future office holders in
mind. It is important to mention that while students do hold these positions now, future
students will hold them soon. In offices everywhere, you cannot use company money to
adjust or elevate your office to your liking unless you bring in items from your own. For
example, in the Vice President's office the only items that were purchased were for the
office that were meant to be passed onto the next Vice President and had a neutral tone to
them. The items the President bought were confirmed to be customized by the President
to her liking. The other argument we found was that it was purchased from the
Presidential discretionary line. The Board of Finance acknowledges that the Presidential
discretionary line can be used to enhance the operations of Student Association. A good
e ample can be taken from the Senate s purchases. Chairman Nicholas Chin used the
money to purchase food for those at the Senate meeting. Everyone was entitled to get
food and it was in bulk. It came out of the Senate Discretionary line since it benefitted
major operations and individuals in and out of Student Association. In other words, the
Board of Finance believes that the Presidential discretionary line should be a spend it
ho ou ant line but should serve as an addition of funds to help all in Student
Association. In addition, the President has repeatedly claimed that as President and CEO
of the Student Association there are no checks and balances. This was presented exactly
with the credit card use as the President claimed in her testimony that she could use the
credit card to purchase anything. Another consequences of this is that the abuse of power
gives those in this type of position a leg up and gives everyone else a disadvantage. The
example the Board of Finance turns to is the Potluck night. Every person that brought
something used their own funds because it was an exclusive event. The President,
unknowingly to the persons attending, used Student Association funds to buy food for the
potluck. This sets a dangerous precedent. If this is true, every person is entitled to a
reimbursement from Student Association. The Board of Finance realizes that it is not
right for one person to be able to have an unfair advantage because of their power and
4 Adopted by the Board of Finance
17
cardholder abilities. Once more, it is concerning to the Board of Finance that the Vice
President was instructed by the President to put this receipt in as a reimbursement under
his own discretionary line. This constituted an abuse of power.
18
APPENDIX AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
SECTION A TESTIMONY
SECTION B CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS
SECTION C PROVIDED AMAZON ORDERS AND PR s
SECTION D MISC.
SECTION A
Student Association President Desann Chin-Carty enters to testify
I. Salazar - Thank you Madam President for coming to testify and for putting SA finances
first. Can you please introduce the person with you?
a. Student Legal Representative Denica Archibald
Salazar – Do you swear or affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth under pains and penalties of perjury?
b. The President responds in the affirmative
II. Salazar The purpose of our subpoena is to hear what you have to say so we can
alleviate the situation as soon as possible. I have decided to grant you a five-minute
opening statement
a. President The Board of Finance has not told me what the investigation is on.
III. Salazar Would you like to make an opening statement?
a. No, because the Board has not told me why I am here.
1. Salazar It seems like you are waiving your opening statement, so the offer has passed. I
will explain why you are here. There is a large amount of credit card statements that have
not been correctly reconciled. There are questionable statements. The constitution gives
us the power to review financial transactions including credit card statements. We have
called you to our meeting to see if we missed anything. On Sunday (01/26/2020) we went
through everything on the credit cards. We found a total of 19-20 suspicious charges and
put them on a list. We are hoping you can shed some light on these. We want to see your
side of the story so we can alleviate this issue.
a. President Can the list be sent to me?
i. Salazar Absolutely.
b. President Wh couldn t I be sent this before?
i. Salazar - We just started the investigation. We are here to ask you the
questions.
c. President - When was the investigation started?
19
i. Salazar - You can get the information at the end but at this time we want
to ask you questions about the charges.
IV. Salazar The excel sheet shows all of the information. We will start with PR 25656. This
is a purchase request for air fresheners. Does any board member have questions regarding
this purchase?
a. McCracken Please explain the description.
i. President The glade plugin does not have the same impact on asthmatics
as other options.
d. Zhang - Where was this put?
i. President One is in my office and one is in the main part of the office
e. Apronti Do you mean triggering asthmatics of Student Association or students?
i. President Anyone who comes into the office
f. Salazar - Any more questions? Seeing none, moving on
V. PR 25435 Office Supplies
a. Donelan The comptroller approved the purchase of mice traps, but not these
ones. Why were these purchased without approval?
i. President - I purchased them because there were mice in the office. I have
never had problems.
2. Donelan - What were the lightning cords for?
a. President - Cords went missing in the office.
3. McCracken How many SA devices are used in the office that require these chargers?
a. President - All directors use their personal devices that require the chargers, so it
is okay that these were purchased
4. McCracken - How many SA owned apple devices are there?
a. President - I don t kno because the are locked up in the comptroller s office
VI. PR 25247
5. McCracken What is the use of this table?
a. President - It is relevant to the Student Association. It was bought with SA card. I
canceled the order and paid with my own
6. McCracken- You paid for this with your own money?
a. President - Yes, you can see it on the amazon. If you check your credit card
reconciliations, it will show that.
7. Donelan - Why was it purchased on the student association credit card initially?
a. President - The desk and couches in the SA office belong to the Office of Student
Activities. All the furniture I bought was cheaper than the University. I was trying
to be fiscally responsible.
8. McCracken - If you thought it was relevant to the Student Association office why did you
return it and buy it with your own money?
a. President - I had a gut feeling that this would be something people ouldn t
understand. I have bought things out of my own pocket. I thought it would make
the Student Association office more inviting to the students
20
9. Donelan You said that the desk and couches in the SA office belong to the Office of
Student Activities, but that as not m question. M question as Wh as it
purchased on the Student Association credit card initiall ?
a. President - I already answered your question. But like I said before, I thought it
was a necessity for the office. I was planning on returning the desk to the student
activities office.
10. Simon Since it s a necessit h didn t ou choose something more standard?
a. President - That s the reason I purchased it m self. I thought the gold ould be
good for school pride because it is one of our school s colors
VII. PR Breast cancer
b. Donelan The PR sa s, breast cancer. Wh as there no numerical PR?
i. President - I do not know. Was it not put in for it?
1. Donelan - There is no numerical PR. It says breast cancer. When
you place an order, you have to generate a PR number beforehand
and enter it.
ii. President - Do you want me to show you how amazon works?
1. Donelan No.
c. McCracken - Why does this one say breast cancer?
i. President - It was for breast cancer; the rest was for a student group.
d. McCracken Where can we find the corresponding PR on MyInvolvement?
i. President Off the top of my head I would not be able to tell you.
e. McCracken Point of Inquiry Was the Board of Finance able to find a
corresponding PR for this order on Sunday?
i. Salazar At this time, we were not able to find a corresponding PR for
this purchase. Madam President, if you find it, please let us know by
Sunday.
f. Zhang I want to clarify When you put in an amazon order, amazon generates
the PR?
i. President No, there is no box for it
g. Zhang The PR number comes from MyInvolvement, not amazon.
i. President When Shannon puts in an order, she puts a note in the PO. The
PR number is generated after.
VIII. PR - 24530
a. Donelan What was the Blue Map Wall Art for?
i. President - It was purchased and then it was returned. It was going to be
used for the President s office from m discretionar line. The comptroller
approved it.
b. Donelan What about the acrylic wall calendar?
i. President To put notes on the wall.
1. Donelan Did you look for something cheaper than $100?
a. Yes, but it did not match what I wanted.
c. Donelan - What about the gold trash can that costs $15. There are trash cans
provided by Campus Center Management that people in the office use.
21
i. President - Actuall that s not right because people do not use them; the
office is a mess and people do not throw anything out. The gold trash can
is for my office.
1. Donelan -The trash can is $15. I have seen purchases on the credit
card statements from dollar tree. I am ondering h ou couldn t
purchase a cheaper trash can from dollar tree?
a. President There aren t an charges from dollar tree
because I buy things that last. I wanted something that was
school colors and made the Student Association office
more welcoming. No one questioned it when I purchased it.
d. McCracken I want to go back to the acrylic calendar. Where is this in the
office?
i. President It was returned alongside the map.
1. McCracken - When were they returned?
a. President I don t remember
b. Apronti If you scroll up you can see the refund amount.
2. Why did you return the map?
a. President When it was delivered it was cheap looking,
thus defeating the purpose of spending $90 on it.
3. McCracken - Why did you return the acrylic calendar?
a. The calendar was purchased myself with my own money.
i. McCracken So, this was returned?
1. President Yes.
e. Salazar Seeing no further questions, we will move on.
IX. PO (sefcu)
a. McCracken- This one didn t have a PO number. It sa s SEFCU. I m ondering
what you know about this PR.
i. Honestl , I don t remember the POs after I put them in. Some things I
request and other people put them in for me. I honestl don t remember.
b. McCracken Did you purchase this notebook?
i. President - Yes
c. McCracken Is that a yes?
i. President I think so.
d. McCracken What is this used for?
i. President Its used for different projects. I used it for meetings with the
Vice President and directors.
e. McCracken Where is this notebook?
i. President - In the Student Association office ma be; I don t kno .
f. McCracken When do you last remember using it?
i. President The end of November.
g. Donelan Can we see the notebook?
i. President Like I just said, I don t kno here it is.
X. PR ____. Cost: $322.83
22
a. McCracken What is this desk?
i. President The one you see in my office
b. McCracken Purchased with SA credit card?
i. President Yes
c. McCracken Was there a cheaper option?
i. President The university spends a lot of money to look professional and
I do the same thing. This is cheaper than what the University would have
offered.
d. McCracken - Why did you decide to purchase the other table with your own
money after returning it, as you said, and then bought this one? Why did you not
spend your own money for this one?
i. President - The reason I purchased the other one was because I already
had a desk, so I returned it. The desk has been helpful to many people in
Student Association.
e. Donelan - Why was there no PR for this order?
i. President There is one
f. Donelan There is no PR number.
i. It was ordered when the Comptroller and Shannon were present. There is a
PO.
g. Donelan It says PO pending.
i. President Whoever put the paper in the order is the person who placed
the order. It was not placed by me.
h. Donelan What was the milk purchased for?
i. President It was for the office. It was office supplies.
i. McCracken Who drank this milk?
i. President Multiple people in the office
j. McCracken - It says pack of 6. Did all 6 milks stay in the office?
i. President I would believe so.
k. Donelan Do ou kno h someone might sa it asn t in the office?
i. President - No. It is the same milk I have at home.
XI. PO 24525
a. Simon What is the purpose of the closet?
i. President - It was originally meant to be in the hallway for students to put
their coats in it.
b. Simon - Where is the closet now?
i. President SA office
c. McCracken - Are the students putting coats in it?
i. President No because we are waiting for the closet to be clear
d. Donelan Where in the SA office is the closet?
i. President - I don t kno . I m not in charge of storage.
e. Donelan What s the planner for?
i. President - It was for the Chief of Staff (Amy Zhang); she should still have
it.
23
f. Donelan I want to point your attention to the gold desk accessories were these
purchased twice?
i. President No
g. What is the black/grey steamer for?
i. President It s been used for people in the office, their professional attire
h. McCracken Where is it?
i. President In the Student Association office
i. Zhang Purpose of candle warmers?
i. President It was for the office
j. Zhang Is it still in the SA office?
i. President No, because top of the gold one broke. That s h I began
using the glade plugins
k. Donelan What is the purpose of the magazine holder?
i. President Used to store documents, files, and folder for UAS board.
l. Donelan Were you able to find a cheaper one?
i. President No.
m. Donelan It is $40.
i. President No its not.
n. Donelan Okay, it is $37.98.
i. President There is no a I ould ve paid for that. It as supposed to
match the office. But I would not spend that much on it.
o. McCracken I see another white steamer for clothes. Are there two?
i. President The other one was returned.
p. McCracken Didn t ou just sa it as in the Student Association office?
i. President I haven t seen the other one
q. McCracken So, the black/grey one is no longer in the Student Association
office?
i. President I don t kno about the black one.
r. McCracken You returned the grey/black steamer?
i. President I assumed it as returned because I can t find it.
s. McCracken I understand your concern about having matching décor. Did you
find that gold options were more expensive than other colors?
i. President Yes. The university requires me to do price matching for
purchases of $250 and higher. I found that the expensive ones matched
school colors. It is the same reason why the University spends so much
money for purple and gold furniture seen on campus.
t. McCracken Are we the University at Albany, or are we the Student
Association?
i. President We operate in the same manner.
u. Donelan I want to point out that the black magazine holders are about $17,
whereas the gold magazine holders are about $40.
i. President - When I request things, I put it in the cart and someone else
purchases it, so therefore I did not purchase it.
24
v. Donelan What is the purpose of the essential oils?
i. President - For my office.
w. Donelan What is the purpose of the hanging plants?
i. President That was supposed to go on the wall in the Student
Association office here e have the office hours posted. I haven t been
able to find them though because someone didn t put them up.
x. McCracken As far as the gold desk accessories, why is the quantity two?
i. President I didn t put t o in. That as m request.
y. McCracken - Do you have these gold accessories?
i. President I have everything but the scissors; those are missing.
z. McCracken Do you have two sets of them?
i. President No, I never ordered or received them.
aa. McCracken So, can ou e plain h it sa s Quantit : T o ?
i. President I can t e plain that.
bb. McCracken - I see a black trash can as well as the gold. Are those in the SA
office?
i. President Yes. The gold one is in my office.
cc. McCracken There are three magazine holders, because there is one from earlier
and two on this order. Can you explain that?
i. President Like I said, when I put the request in, I put it in the cart. But I
am not the one that ordered it.
dd. McCracken Did you put two of those in the cart?
i. President No, it was in the save later section. Maybe. Whatever is in the
office. I ouldn t have spent that much mone though
ee. McCracken It sa s Quantit : T o and there s another order for the same
thing, which would mean 3 were ordered. How many are in the SA office?
i. President Whatever is in my office. I have no idea.
ff. Donelan What is the purpose of the gold risers?
i. President I didn t bu them; the ere supposed to be returned
gg. McCracken You have them. So, there is Quantit : T o ?
i. President Yes.
hh. McCracken Were there cheaper alternatives?
i. President Not for what I wanted
ii. Donelan Why did you find it necessary to spend $60 on each riser when there
are black ones at half the price?
i. President - We have hideous desks, and it ould ve been t o of these
risers or four of the others. These are the ones I wanted, I am the President
and CEO of this organization.
jj. McCracken I see two black risers matching around the price of one of yours. Do
ou think those t o ould ve looked nice and raised the desk to your preference?
i. No. The dimensions are different. I was also expecting to have a bigger
computer screen. There was supposed to be one riser on each desk. This is
the cheapest option for what I wanted.
25
kk. Donelan - Where are the succulents?
i. President They were at the front desk.
ll. McCracken When, and for how long?
i. President At least for the whole summer.
mm. Donelan What is the purpose of the glow in the dark stones?
i. President - It is for a fountain to destress me. The fountain I bought myself
and the stones I bought for SA.
nn. Donelan Wh as the PO END OF THE YEAR 19, and not a number?
i. President I alread told ou before that I didn t order it.
oo. Donelan Most of this order is made up of items for you and your office. You
don t kno the PO?
i. President - Whoever the placed the order placed the order. I don t kno
about the PO. I can t be held accountable.
Chairman Salazar steps down and Vice Chairwoman Donelan begins chairing
pp. Zhang You said you purchased the fountain yourself, but the stones were
purchased with the SA credit card. Why?
i. President -The stones were originally supposed to be used for the
succulent plants, but I couldn t get them to be hung up. But now the things
to put the succulent plants up are missing.
qq. McCracken The stones are in the office?
i. President Yes.
rr. McCracken Do you think these are valid office supplies?
i. President - They are supplies I use for my office and for my mental health.
I need these things to be able to operate functionally.
ss. McCracken - I hear hat ou re sa ing about mental health and our
productivity, and I respect that but I do want to ask Do you think you could you
buy anything with the office supplies line if it makes you work better Would
you argue that you can buy anything?
i. President Essentially.
tt. McCracken So to reiterate, as President you think you can buy anything?
i. President As long as it is an approved purchase and can be justified, yes.
XII. PO 23938
a. Donelan I kno this as supposed to be canceled but it asn t. Wh ?
i. McCracken Point of inquiry Why was this on the excel sheet?
1. Salazar This was not a cancelled order.
b. Donelan Sorr that must ve been another order I m thinking of. But hat is this
adapter for?
i. President - It as for m personal device to do ork in the summer. I ve
also used it for various presentations and the training. I had to loan one out
to Sadie.
c. McCracken - Where is this now?
i. President - Somewhere in the office I presume; I don t kno .
26
d. McCracken Are there two of them in your office?
i. President - There ere t o, but I don t kno here the are no .
1. Salazar This concludes the amazon purchases. We will now
move on to the credit card statements.
Chairman Salazar steps down and Vice Chairwoman Donelan begins chairing
I. BJ S Wholesale Club
a. Salazar - I d like to turn our attention to the BJ s Wholesale Club charge. Can
you describe what you know about this?
i. President - The Student Association has a BJs card to purchase items at a
lower rate
b. Salazar - Was there a PR submitted for this?
i. President Yes.
c. Salazar - What if there is no PR submitted?
i. President Then I ouldn t kno . But I remember doing that
d. Salazar You did make this purchase?
i. President Yes, I went and purchased things for the Pine Hills Cleanup.
e. Salazar Where is the BJs membership card?
i. President SA office, probably.
f. Salazar Can you be more specific?
i. President Its amongst documents. I have no idea. Maybe in the safe on
the table.
g. Salazar Why did the Student Association need a BJs membership?
i. President I already said that. It allows us to buy things at a cheaper rate.
h. Salazar When as the last time after November 3, 2019 that the BJ s
membership was used?
i. President I ouldn t kno . We have purchased things for Dippikill and
other events.
i. Salazar - Since there is no PR, do you have a receipt?
i. President I probably could get it from BJs.
j. Salazar What if we already called BJs and they told us it was a personal
membership?
i. President - That would not be the case. My family has their own. I
ouldn t need it.
k. Salazar Who s name is under the BJs membership?
i. President - Both mine and the Comptroller s.
l. Salazar You know there was no PR, correct?
i. President I m telling ou that I t ped it up.
m. Salazar - In terms of BJ s membership, ho else as ith ou hen ou got it?
i. It was purchased over the phone. In the store, The Director of Community
Engagement and Outreach, the Comptroller, and I don t recall ho else.
n. Salazar - To reiterate, what was the purpose of the card?
27
i. President - To purchase things at a discounted rate for the Student
Association to be more cost effective
o. Salazar Looking back on this now, what would you do differently?
i. President - I would double check that a PR was submitted but I told the
Comptroller and it has been used before to buy for events. I still believe it
was a good purchase because it allows us to get things at a cheaper cost to
SA.
ii. Chairman Salazar resumes chairing
II. Cheesecake Factory Charge
a. Donelan What can you tell us about this purchase?
i. President - It was made on accident. The weekend before we had the
SUNY conference and I had the card on my possession. I went to
Cheesecake Factory for personal reasons and I immediately noticed the
card as charged and told Cheesecake Factor that the eren t supposed
to charge the card. They were supposed to refund it. I even have a
correspondence from the place saying they apologize for charging the card
on accident.
1. Chairman Salazar steps down and Vice Chairwoman Donelan
begins chairing
b. Salazar Why was the Student Association credit card outside of the office?
i. In the past, I have aited months to be reimbursed for things. I asn t
comfortable paying out of my own pocket for things at the conference.
c. Salazar Would you say would it be a fair statement that taking the Student
Association credit card out of the office poses a financial risk to Student
Association?
i. President -The risk is in my name.
d. Salazar Is it a reasonable statement to say that the credit card should not have
been taken out of the Student Association office?
i. President - I don t believe so, especiall if it is in m possession.
e. Zhang Do you remember when you called for the refund?
i. President It was when I found out the card was charged.
f. Zhang Can you estimate which month that was?
i. President Probably around when the Comptroller called me about it. I
don t recall the e act date. Probabl a Tuesda after I received the email
from the Comptroller.
g. Zhang If you could find the email would you share that with us?
i. President The comptroller sent the email so he should be able to share it
with you.
h. Salazar What would you have done differently?
i. President I was tired after the SUNY SA Conference, but I would have
put it back in the office
1. Vice Chairwoman Donelan steps down and Board of Finance
member McCracken begins chairing.
28
i. Donelan The Cheesecake Factor shouldn t have charged the Student
Association credit card, is that correct?
i. President Yes.
j. Donelan You said that you immediately saw the SA credit card was charged,
and immediately asked for a refund. But then you also said you found out about
the charge when the Comptroller called or emailed you about it. Can you explain
that?
i. President - I didn t kno the card was charged because I paid with my
own money.
1. Board of Finance member McCracken steps down and Board
of Finance member Zhang begins chairing.
k. McCracken True or false, where there is risk there is a potential for damage?
i. President True
l. McCracken - Would you consider the card accidentally being swiped as damage?
i. President No. The Student Association hasn t lost an mone .
m. McCracken Have we gotten this money put back in?
i. President Yes, I brought a statement showing it.
n. Salazar - Do you keep a record of all your credit card purchases?
i. President Yes and I have submitted them to the comptroller.
o. Salazar Motion to subpoena the President s records
i. Donelan Second
p. Salazar You submitted your records to the Comptroller?
i. President Correct.
q. Salazar When were they submitted?
i. President - It was submitted.
r. Salazar I m asking for a record of all purchases not PRs
i. President - I can t recall. I kno ou can t remember ever thing that
happened last semester.
s. McCracken Point of inquiry - Wasn t there another purchase on that sheet we
were going to go over?
i. Salazar - Yes, let s look at that
1. Chairman Salazar resumes chairing
III. Shun s Kitchen Order
a. Zhang - Can you shed some light on this?
i. President - That was charged to the card. It was my meal.
b. McCracken Can you repeat?
i. President - The conference had ended at 1. I ordered a meal.
c. Zhang - Where was the conference held?
i. President - SUNY Albany
d. Donelan What was the cost per head for the conference?
i. President - I don t remember. Its mandated b SUNY.
e. Donelan This purchase was for a meeting with University at Buffalo personnel?
29
i. President That is correct. It was me, the Buffalo President and Vice
President in a meeting regarding racial climate.
f. Donelan What exactly was purchased on the Student Association card?
i. President - My meal was purchased on the SUNY SA cards.
g. Donelan SUNY SA cards?
i. President - Yes. I just said, SUNY SA credit card.
h. Donelan So this was a meeting between you and the University at Buffalo
President and Vice President. How often do you have meetings at 1 AM?
i. President - Not often but I was stuck in a conference late and we met after
it.
i. McCracken I see the credit card statement says $8. Was that the entirety of the
order?
i. President My meal was $8.
j. McCracken Why was half of the order on the SA card and the other half was on
your personal card? Whose order was on your personal card?
i. President The personal card paid for the President of SUNY Buffalo
k. McCracken If the SUNY Conference was held in Albany why did you decide to
pa for a hotel instead of ubering to the venue if needed? Wouldn t that be more
cost effective?
i. President It was not more cost effective. We had multiple attendees
running late, missing activities and wasting our money. That is why the
hotel was needed.
IV. 518 Market - $3.29 Milk purchase
a. Donelan Purpose of the $3.29 milk purchase?
i. President It says milk on it. We went with the former director of Public
Relations Malik Dorant to make hot chocolate for students
b. McCracken Explain what this was for. I see it says snack on the receipt. What
was the size of the milk?
i. That is hat the 518 market does ith their receipts, so ou d have to ask
them.
beings chairing
V. Walmart Receipt
a. Salazar - In this purchase we have Working Dinner for Directors. We traced it
down to a Potluck What was the purpose of this?
i. President This is actually something the Chief of Staff (Amy Zhang)
wanted to do for bonding. She can tell you about it.
b. Salazar - So this was only for executive branch directors?
i. President I think some of the interns came too, I don t remember. It as
former Chief of Staff s house, she should kno . The leftover food as
brought to the office.
c. Salazar - So this was the receipt for the food for the potluck?
i. President Yes.
30
d. Salazar - What foods did you make?
i. I don t recall. I remember mac and cheese, and I had made shepherd s pie
the next day. Some of it was directors.
e. Salazar - This was another instance where you took the credit card out of the
office, correct?
i. President Yes.
f. Salazar - I m going to ask ou to look at the receipt. Are ou 100% sure that
every item was for the potluck?
i. President - That was my own personal money that I spent on the student
association in addition to this, I had the vice president put it in for
reimbursement.
g. Salazar Wh did ou make shepherd s pie the ne t da ?
i. President I didn t, I brought it in to the staff. I ouldn t have had time to
make it the next day.
h. Salazar - You just said you used your own money to help with the potluck. You
said that in regard to this receipt. This is not your money; this is the Student
Association credit card. What did you personally spend on?
i. President - M o n seasonings, m o n foil, m o n eggs, and there s
multiple things I used in my own kitchen
i. Salazar - A potluck is where you bring your own stuff, correct?
i. President No it s here ou bring things ou cook. You and the Board
of Finance should ve looked at it sooner if it as such a problem.
1. Salazar (to Donelan): Madam Chairwoman, the personal attacks
made by the President are not productive to this investigation. I
request that you ask the witness to be respectful.
2. Donelan Yes, please be respectful and answer the questions
without personal attacks.
a. President Madam Chairwoman, can I make a request?
i. Donelan No.
ii. President Of course not. The corruption is
real on the Board of Finance.
j. McCracken - Was everything on this receipt used for the potluck?
i. President - I believe so. I didn t have an thing left in the house except for
the shepherd s pie.
1. Chairman Salazar resumes chairing
VI. Paesan s Pi a
a. McCracken What as the Paesan s pi a for?
i. President I didn t order that.
b. McCracken - Are you aware that this is under your cardholder account summary?
i. Yes, and so are a bunch of other things that I didn t purchase.
c. McCracken - How is that possible?
i. When the credit card first came the Comptroller didn t let me use it. Other
people have access to this credit card.
31
d. McCracken - You just said others- can you explain who?
i. President - Shannon would have access to the credit card.
e. McCracken So the President, Comptroller, and Shannon all have access to the
card Who could ve ordered the pi a?
i. President I don t kno but it as probabl for a staff meeting
f. Donelan - Was there a PR submitted?
i. President - I don t recall ordering it but I ouldn t kno .
VII. 123 Test
a. Donelan What is the 123 test s purpose?
i. President - This was for staff development. The directors had to fill out a
form.
b. Donelan I was in the Executive Branch at the time and I recall the test being
free. What is that about?
i. The charge was for the reports
c. Apronti To clarify, the test was free, but the reports cost you?
i. President Yes.
VIII. ULINE
a. Donelan What is this?
i. President - I have no idea
b. Donelan I want to confirm what this is. Was there a PR for this?
i. President - I don t kno . I don t kno about an of the transactions.
c. McCracken You re sa ing other people have access to the card. Are ou
nervous about that?
i. President - Yes because the people who have access to it such as the
comptroller aren t the President and CEO. I anted to use other forms of
payment, but the comptroller denied it. It makes me nervous because I
don t like ever one having access to m name.
d. McCracken You have said everybody but only named comptroller. Who else do
you believe has access to your credit card?
i. President - Only people with access is comptroller, and I gave access to
Shannon and my former chief of staff
e. Apronti- is this the joint account?
i. Salazar Yes
ii. Chairman Salazar steps down and Vice Chairwoman Donelan
begins chairing.
IX. SECURUS INMATE CALL
a. Salazar - On the last line there is a Securus Inmate Call. Do you recognize this?
i. President - Nope. Inmate, like in prison? I don t kno an one in jail; I
have never been to jail.
b. Salazar This was made on the presidential card correct?
i. President - I ouldn t be able to kno . I ve never seen it.
c. Apronti Does anyone know if SEFCU cards have a history of being
compromised?
32
i. President There have been fraudulent charges before with the former
president
ii. Comptroller When ou sa the charges from hen Langie s card
was compromised, we got it shut down and the funds returned
immediately.
d. Salazar What if I told you we had a transcript of that call?
i. President - That would be fine, but I do not know anyone in jail.
e. Salazar - Is this concerning to you?
i. President - This is concerning. I have tried on a plethora of occasions to
have a different method of payment where each person has a different card
f. Salazar - why do you think your methods have failed?
i. President - Because the comptroller refused to have a meeting with PEX
(card system other schools have used), so they never came, and the system
was never put in place.
g. Salazar ou sa ou re the President and CEO of this organi ation. What, if
anything, should be done about this?
i. President I ve said multiple times already that I believe there needs to be
another s stem put in place. I ve requested access to the credit card
statements. I m told that s not m job. I ve spoken to people about
different methods of internal control.
h. Salazar - What if I told you those internal controls are already in place?
i. President I d love to see them. Clearly, the re not. The card is being
used in m name for purchases I didn t authori e hile the people ho are
responsible for this are sitting comfortabl and I m the onl one who is
being held accountable.
i. Salazar With all due respect, Madam President, we are not sitting here
comfortably. All of us are uncomfortable with this. That is why we are here and
why we are having an investigation. As president and CEO of this organization,
do you think you have failed?
i. President 100 percent. I will be honest about that; I think I have failed. I
should ve insisted that more procedures ere put in place. And this is h
I request each person has their own credit card. When people aren t
friends anymore, they have selective memory. The SA Constitution and
bylaws do not give me adequate rights as the President and CEO of this
organization. I am a very transparent person.
ii. Salazar - Motion to move on
1. Zhang Second
iii. Chairman Salazar resumes chairing.
X. PR 25658
a. Zhang Found the PR number for ULINE order 25658
b. Donelan What is this?
33
i. President This was for an event by the Marketing department. They have
had multiple issues reaching out to the comptroller. It was for a destress
event.
c. McCracken Where were the candle tins purchased?
i. ULINE
d. Donelan Is there a receipt?
XI. End of Questioning
a. Salazar That concludes our questions for the President. I will now allow the
President to make a 5-minute closing statement.
i. President On multiple occasions I have requested information on credit
card reconciliations. I asked what information is needed from me. I
couldn t even get copies of the credit card statements until Rand gave
them to me. I think it s ver funn ho ou ait until no for someone
who has dyslexia to review documents. When I ask for things it always
gets denied. You re all ver selective. The itch hunt that is occurring is
ver funn . I m being targeted because the Board of Finance and
Comptroller can t be accountable, but the only black woman in the room
is held accountable. I tried to put steps in place to prevent this, but
instances have come up here I needed to make these purchases. I ve
faced avoidance and disrespect - granted I get upset sometimes. As the
CEO I m supposed to know what is going on in my organization. When I
tried to meet with the Board of Finance Chair for other issues, I am told
that can t be discussed. You all keep antagoni ing me. I as almost fired
from my other job because I work so hard for this Student Association.
You don t care about Student Association; all ou care about is hanging
someone. It is causing an impact on SA that will last longer than this year.
Instead of asking questions beforehand you wait until anything. Molly, I
can see that you do not respect me. I put you in this job because I thought
ou d be good at this. I as rong. This is the a ou treat black omen
in this office and in my position of power. Tanner, this is no disrespect to
you, but there are multiple occasions here I ve tried to talk about things
to get nothing. I am human and make mistakes. I come early in the
morning and I miss classes for the Student Association. I give a lot. Yes,
I m e hausted. People ill not help me. This is not in the best interest of
the Student Association. If you cared about the Student Association, you
would be proactive and bring these things up as they occurred. When
there s an issue I address it. That is professional. I apologi e to have ou
here hen ever one has school, but I ve tried talking to the Board of
Finance Chair separately to solve this.
1. The President s 5 minutes has ended
b. Salazar - I want to thank the President for coming and giving us her side so we
can alleviate this issue. We are still in executive session so we can continue the
rest of the work we have. We ask that you politely leave.
34
Director of Health and Sustainability Stephany Solis enters to testify.
I. Salazar – Do you swear or affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth under pains and penalties of perjury?
a. The Director responds in the affirmative.
II. Chairman Salazar steps down and Vice Chairwoman Donelan begins chairing for
questioning.
III. Salazar - You went to the Executive Branch potluck, right?
a. Solis Yes
IV. Salazar Can you describe to the best of your memory what food was there?
a. Solis - Kianna brought huge plates of food. I brought watermelon. Amy was
cooking inside. Fae brought food. Ariel brought McDonald s. T riq brought mac
and cheese. T reek Co brought alfredo ith one shrimp, can t forget that. There
were some juices there, Malik brought juices. We were all able to take a bunch
home.
V. What did the President bring?
a. The president came really late, about 1 hour and 30 minutes after it started. I think
she baked cakes. I remember she was cooking something, but she brought a bunch
of food to cook. I remember she brought salmon and vegetables to cook.
VI. Salazar - So we have the receipt from that night with of a lot of material from Walmart. If
there s an thing ou see that asn t used at the event or for cooking please let me kno .
a. Solis - Anything not present:
i. Orange juice
ii. Pasta sauce
iii. Ground beef
iv. Basmati rice
b. Zhang The only rice there was the fried rice I made
c. Solis Yes, I remember that. We had mac and cheese and alfredo, but I don t
remember any other pasta.
d. Zhang- Kianna made penne ala vodka
e. Solis Yes, but she made it herself. I remember we all brought something with
our own money. I remember I brought a watermelon.
VII. Salazar - Was this advertised as a private or SA event?
a. Solis It was an executive bonding event. I was there because I was an associate
director. Abdoullah (Senator Goudiaby) came because I invited him. The
administrative assistant came.
VIII. Salazar - If the attendees used their own money for what they brought, they used
very little money correct?
a. Solis Yes, we all used our own money. Everyone cooked by themselves and
brought it alread made. We all brought food to feed a lot of people, but it asn t
too e pensive. Ariel brought McDonald s.
IX. Salazar In our personal opinion, do ou think SA funds should ve been used for it?
35
a. Solis No, because it asn t open to all students it was strictly an executive
event. Outside of training and important substantial meetings I don t think our
funds should ve been used for food. Ever student contributes to those funds. In
my opinion it would ve not been a good use of funds.
X. Salazar - This was advertised as you bring your own dish, right?
a. Solis - Yes. Ever one brings something even if ou can t cook. We didn t use
outside mone . I don t think an one ould ve anted to use SA funds because it
asn t mandator it as a bonding event. I don t think SA funds are needed for
that.
XI. Salazar - Did you know about the receipt being charged under the SA credit card?
a. Solis - No, I thought we all used our own money. If that is the case, it is not fair.
We all spent our own money. I would find that disrespectful and shameful.
XII. Salazar That concludes our questions for you. Would you like to make a closing
statement?
a. Solis - No, I just hope ou gu s have a good semester. I hope I as helpful. I m
sorry that you all had to be here, especially on a school night.
XIII. Donelan Motion for a 5-minute recess
a. Zhang Second
Vice President Ariel Nunez enters to testify.
I. Salazar – Do you swear or affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth under pains and penalties of perjury?
a. The Vice President responds in the affirmative.
II. Chairman Salazar steps down and Vice Chairwoman Donelan begins chairing for
questioning.
III. Walmart Receipt
a. Salazar We are launching an investigation into credit card purchases that you
may or may not have knowledge of. We want to look at the Walmart one. Can
you describe what you know about this event?
i. Nunez - To my knowledge there were a few times within the fall semester
where we had staff meetings with food. We considered it a potluck for the
branch. It as so e could bond and connect and talk about our semester s
goals.
b. Salazar It was a potluck, right?
i. Nunez Yes
c. Salazar - During this potluck people brought their own stuff, right?
i. There were a few directors who cooked their own meals and snacks. They
brought it from their own purchases.
d. Salazar - Did the president attend?
i. Nunez -Yes
36
e. Salazar I m going to sho ou a receipt. I d like ou tell me if ou see an
purchases on this receipt that you did NOT see at the event.
i. Nunez - I can t sa ever dish but I could sa that I m not sure if all these
ingredients were used. I know that for the most part we did buy as many
food supplies as needed. I can t sa e used all these ingredients though.
It s ver vague in my memory because it was the beginning of last
semester. There are some items here that I don t kno hat it is e actl .
For e ample, GV 41-60 CK - I don t kno hat that is
ii. Comptroller - I would guess that it is meat
f. Salazar Do you remember orange juice being there?
i. Nunez No
g. Salazar Do you remember pasta sauce being there?
i. Nunez I remember someone bringing some form of pasta but I am not
sure if it was this one that was used.
h. Salazar Was there ground beef?
i. Nunez Not to my knowledge
i. Salazar Was there basmati rice?
i. I genuinel don t kno .
j. Salazar - What did you bring to the potluck?
i. Nunez I brought McDonald s. I brought about 50 chicken nuggets, a lot
of sauces, and fries. That was my addition to the potluck, Amy would
know.
k. Salazar - Would you say that this event serves as bonding?
1. Nunez Definitely
l. Salazar Did anyone else use Student Association money to buy stuff for the
potluck?
i. Nunez No
m. Salazar Was it advertised in such a way that you would pay for your own items
that you brought?
i. Nunez Yes, it was publicly announced that people would bring their own
food.
n. Salazar - Do you think SA money should be used for this event specifically?
i. Nunez - I believe there is value in directors bonding and getting together.
Food is a cultural way of bonding. If I did it again, I would like to include
senators as well. I think there is a value in people coming together.
o. McCracken Do you think it was fair to use SA money for this particular event?
i. Nunez I think bonding events are needed. That is not to say that food is
mandatory, but I hope the bonding continues.
p. Salazar Yes or no, do you think SA money should have been used for this
event?
i. Nunez No
q. Salazar - Did you have any knowledge of this receipt during the potluck?
37
i. Nunez Yes, I did because I knew all receipts are supposed to be kept and
given to the comptroller immediately
r. Salazar did the president tell you that she used the SA credit card for this event?
i. It was put under my discretionary line, but yes.
1. Chairman Salazar resumes chairing.
IV. Glade Order
a. McCracken -Since you do office hours, have you seen these glade things in the
office? Have you seen them being used?
i. Nunez - I don t kno
b. Donelan - Do you remember lightning cords going missing and there being a need
for the president replace them?
i. Nunez - I am not aware of anything going missing. Not sure if they were
personall for the directors but I don t remember seeing or hearing about
any lightning cords for directors or them going missing.
begins chairing.
c. Salazar Motion to go back to Walmart receipt
i. McCracken Second
V. Walmart
a. Salazar When did you receive this receipt?
i. Nunez I believe it was after the potluck.
b. Salazar Who gave it to you?
i. Nunez The president.
c. Salazar Is it true that the president made you put in the receipt for
reimbursement?
i. No.
d. Salazar - Who put in the PR for this?
i. Nunez - It was under my discretionary line, so I did.
e. Salazar - Did the president advise you to put this under your discretionary line?
i. It asn t forceful, but she did mention to me that I could put it under m
discretionary. I did figure it would be placed under my line since I am the
supervisor of the directors.
f. Salazar Motion to go back to what we were doing before
i. Simon Second
ii. Chairman Salazar resumes chairing.
VI. PR Breast Cancer
a. Zhang Were you aware of this breast cancer event/purchase?
i. Nunez No.
VII. PR 24530
a. Simon Do you know the purpose of the blue wall art?
i. Nunez No
b. McCracken - Do you recall seeing the monthly wall calendar?
i. Nunez - We have a similar one ne t to m office but it s not this one
38
c. McCracken - Have you ever seen this board in particular?
i. No
d. Simon Have you see the gold trash can being used in the office?
i. Nunez Yes
e. Donelan - Do you believe things should be gold to match our school colors, even
if that means it would be more expensive?
i. Nunez No, it doesn t matter.
VIII. PO (sefcu)
a. McCracken - Have you seen this 5 subject notebook in the SA office?
i. Nunez No
b. Zhang Have you seen it being used by the President in any of your meetings?
i. Nunez No I haven t. She usuall uses her laptop
IX. Desk Order
a. Chairman Salazar steps down and Vice Chairwoman Donelan begins
chairing.
b. Zhang Were you aware that she purchased this chair and desk for her office or
when it happened?
i. Nunez - I asn t ph sicall there for the purchase but I sa it arrive.
c. Zhang - Do you believe it was necessary to buy a new chair when there were
already chairs in the office?
i. Nunez - If there are already chairs in place that aren t damaged, then no,
ne chairs aren t needed.
d. Salazar In our time as VP there s nothing rong ith personali ing our office
right?
i. Nunez Correct
e. Salazar What have you added to your office to make it unique?
i. I have a whiteboard and pushpins to put up reminders for m self. I ve also
purchased certificates for directors of the month.
f. Salazar - Do you put up posters?
i. I have a big poster of my fraternity but that was donated to me as a gift
g. Salazar - Do you use personal items to decorate?
i. Nunez Yes.
h. Zhang - When it comes to adding school spirit, how did you go about that?
i. Nunez I have a photo frame with a picture of me, the President, the
Comptroller, and an EOP student. I have a UAlbany triangular flag. I also
have leftover gear that is typically used as prizes for students
i. Zhang How were these items purchased?
i. I am pretty sure the credit card, but not sure.
j. Zhang Would you say it was expensive to add school spirit?
i. Nunez No.
k. Comptroller I printed out the picture myself and bought the frame myself for the
picture that is in the Vice President s office. The other school spirit stuff as left
39
over from events for EOP students. These things belong to SA and are meant to
remain in the office.
i. Chairman Salazar resumes chairing.
l. Zhang Have you ever seen the milk in the office?
i. Nunez Yes, in our kitchen and fridge
m. Simon - Have you seen that closet being utilized?
i. Nunez - I have not
n. Simon - Were you aware that students or directors were going to use this for their
own means?
i. Nunez - I do remember the President saying there was a space designated
for directors to leave their professional wear. I remember that was
something that was said but I have not seen this wardrobe closet in the
office.
o. Zhang Have you seen the grey/black steamer in the office before?
i. Nunez Yes.
p. Simon have you seen the gold desk accessories?
i. Nunez Yes, I have seen it; I believe it was gold.
q. McCracken - Have you seen the white steamer?
i. Nunez - There is a steamer dedicated to the office, but I can t remember if
it s this one or the black one
r. McCracken - Are there two steamers in the office?
i. Nunez - To my knowledge I believe there is only one
s. Zhang Have you seen the gold magazine holders?
i. Nunez Yes
t. Zhang Can you estimate where they are?
i. Nunez - I believe the are in the president s office
u. Simon Have you seen those candle warmers, gold and black?
i. Nunez no
v. Zhang Have you seen the glade spray in the open part of the office?
i. Nunez - I cannot recall seeing that
w. Zhang have you seen the essential oils or diffuser being used in the office?
i. Nunez no
x. Simon - were you aware that succulent plants were being placed in the office?
i. Nunez I am not aware of any plants being used in the office
y. Simon is there a fountain in the President s office here she uses glow in the
dark pebbles?
i. Nunez Yes
z. Zhang has she mentioned that she personally purchased it?
i. Nunez I am not sure if it was personally purchased
aa. Donelan - When ou go into the President s office have ou noticed a distinct
smell, like she has one or more scented device in there?
i. Nunez Yes.
bb. Donelan -Have ou seen 3 gold maga ine holders in the president s office?
40
i. Nunez - No
cc. Zhang - have you seen two sets of the desk accessories?
i. Nunez - I have not seen two sets
dd. Donelan - Have you seen one set?
i. Nunez - This set looks similar to the other one, so I am not sure
ee. Zhang - have you see that essential oil diffuser?
i. Nunez No.
ff. Donelan Have you seen the two gold desk risers?
i. Nunez Yes
gg. Zhang do you believe that the color gold being one of our school colors justifies
spending twice the price? Is that financially reasonable to you?
i. Nunez it is not necessary to get the colors of the university if it means
that more money will be spent
hh. McCracken - Is there any other reason you can think of that the president would
choose to have those gold risers rather than black, or a less expensive color?
i. Nunez - I cannot think of any other valid reason
ii. McCracken - Is there an thing particular about the President s desk here ou
think that s more necessar ?
i. Nunez- the President s desk is ide so I guess having t o risers is ok
jj. Simon Do you find the style of the desk a necessity for the Student Association
office?
i. Nunez Personally it is not a big difference if its stylish or not, so no I
don t think this as necessar .
kk. Zhang - Does it create a welcoming space in the office?
i. I don t kno , the president has t o desks. More than 80% of the time I
only see her use one of those desks.
ll. Zhang -what color is the one she uses often?
i. Nunez I can t remember the color but it is right hen ou alk in her
office, to the right.
X. White Adapter
a. Zhang have you seen these adapters being used in the SA office?
i. Nunez No.
b. McCracken -Have you ever seen the president give a presentation?
i. Nunez Yes.
c. McCracken -When the President has given presentations have you seen her use
that adapter to connect her device?
i. Nunez I believe so, yes.
begins chairing.
XI. Credit Card
a. Salazar - Do you think that having a credit card for the vice president is a
necessity?
i. Nunez - No.
41
b. Salazar if you had the option to, would you apply for a credit card for only the
vice president?
i. Nunez - the only reason why I would request a credit card is for it to be
more accessible. But in my experience, I have never had issues obtaining
or having access to the credit card if there was a purchase I needed to be
made.
c. Salazar do you know what UAS is?
i. Nunez yes, University Auxiliary Services
d. Salazar - Do you know they handle our credit cards?
i. Nunez Yes
e. Salazar Have you written an email to them regarding a credit card?
i. Nunez No.
f. Salazar Have you ever shown interest to UAS about obtaining a credit card?
i. Nunez No
g. Salazar Have you ever shown visited the UAS office to ask for a credit card?
i. Nunez No
h. Salazar Do you think it is wrong for other people to ask for credit cards on other
people s behalves? For e ample, if I asked UAS for a credit card for Molly but
Molly had no idea, is that wrong?
i. Yes, because Moll ouldn t have an consent or kno ledge of the
situation.
i. Salazar Do you want to add anything else before you leave us?
i. Going back to your question about a Vice Presidential credit card... while
they are an ex oficio member, it should really only depend on whether
they feel they should have that power moving forward. Every Vice
President uses their funding differently. I think that it should be an option
for the Vice President, but it must come from themselves. No one should
persuade them into having one.
j. Salazar Is there anything you want to add about the investigation?
i. Nunez No.
42
BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
PURCHASE HISTORY REPORT
Member 00748540180 Start Date: Oct 30, 2019 End Date: Oct 30, 2019
Purchase Date: Oct 30, 2019 Club 7
Transaction Register Purchase Merch Cat UPC Article Article Desc Return Rebate QTY Extended Price Amt Discount Reduction
Nbr Nbr Time Cd Nbr Ind Ind Type Cd Amt
260 0000000888 12:00:00 AM B01010003 99965 99965 MEMBERSHIP PRIMARY N N 1.00 $65.00 $0.00
Total 1.00 Price $65.00
Tax $5.20
Payment $70.20
BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. • 25 Research Dr., Westborough, MA 01581 ©2019 BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.
January 10, 2020 Pg. 1 02:41:30 PM
Payment with Taxes and Tender Type
Purch Date Site Transaction Register# Payment Amount Tax Amount Tender Description
Oct 30, 2019 7 260 0000000888 $70.20 $5.20 Membership Master Card
BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. • 25 Research Dr., Westborough, MA 01581 ©2019 BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.
January 10, 2020 Pg. 1 02:41:30 PM

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What is the purpose of the financial investigation?

What powers does the Board of Finance have?

Board of Finance Financial Investigation into President Desann Chin-Carty

SUMMARY OF FACTS ............................................................................................................................. 3

BOARD RECCOMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................ 16

APPENDIX AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ................................................................................. 19

1 See email from Shannon

The recommendation votes were as follows:

Bylaw revamp: Unanimous

PR 25656 GLADE ORDER

3 Adopted by the Board of Finance

4 Adopted by the Board of Finance

Student Association President Desann Chin-Carty enters to testify

Vice President Ariel Nunez enters to testify.

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