The Government of the Student Body Election Commission found that presidential hopeful Luke Roling and his running mate, Nate Dobbels, had violated a section of the 2010 Election Code in a violation hearing Monday night.

The commission found that an e-mail sent on behalf of the Roling-Dobbels campaign to the approximately 9,000 students living in the residence halls and Schilletter and University Village was in violation of the code.

According to the code, “Email communications through any Iowa State University list serve shall be prohibited within 24 hours of the voting periods and during the voting periods.”

The commission voted unanimously to cut the Roling-Dobbels campaign’s $1,500 in reimbursement funds in half, and to not reimburse the campaign’s $150 “good faith deposit.”

The commission also voted 5–1 to cut two months from the candidates’ summer stipends, should they win the election — a decision that would cost Roling $700 and Dobbels $350.

After meeting with the Election Commission, Roling said, “It’s a minor infraction. We messed up, but there is nothing else we can do tonight.”

Roling and Dobbels left before the Commission had announced its ruling.

Chandra Peterson and Jacob Wilson, the opposing ticket, declined to comment until Tuesday morning, as instructed by the Election Commission.

Check back Tuesday for further updates.