An internal investigation among Government of the Student Body committees is underway to answer questions about the appointment of a new election commissioner for the 2001 GSB elections.

The GSB Rules Committee launched an investigation of the GSB Appointment Committee at the beginning of October. The investigation came after a senate order was submitted to the rules committee that named Dave Sims, engineering, as the appointment-committee nominee for election commissioner. The appointment committee, headed by GSB Vice President Lisa Dlouhy, voted 2-1 by secret ballot to name Sims over the other candidate, Chris Benson, senior in animal science.

“So far this year, all the people we have appointed have been approved by unanimous consent,” Dlouhy said. “In order to protect everyone’s personal opinion, they felt more comfortable voting by secret ballot.”

The rules committee, headed by GSB Speaker of the House Charlie Johnson, received the seating order Oct. 2 and went into closed executive session Oct. 3, when they voted to remove the bill and begin the investigation, Johnson said. The rules committee also recommended that the appointments committee redo the entire application process for election commissioner, who is charged with organizing and overseeing the elections.

Because the investigation has only been discussed in executive session, the nature of the investigation is unknown. The secrecy of the investigation has prompted rumors and speculation that have spread beyond GSB. Members of the Inter-Residence Hall Association have taken an interest in the events surrounding the investigation.

“The reason why I’m interested is that it’s a secret,” said Rick Cordaro, Union Drive Association president. “I want to know more, and very rarely does something like this occur.”

However, GSB Vice Speaker Greg Tew, rules committee member, said executive session is necessary to discuss sensitive issues.

“The original reason we went into executive session was because we were discussing personnel issues,” he said. “Since then, we’ve been in executive session for the investigation.”

Dlouhy said the only feedback she has heard has been GSB senators telling her about IRHA members’ complaints.

“I wish they would come talk to me,” she said. “I have only been approached by one person on IRHA. … If people are upset with what I am doing or if I have upset anyone, I haven’t been made aware of that. I don’t know where they are getting their information.”

Cordaro said the interest among IRHA representatives does not spring from a personal vendetta against Dlouhy or any member of the appointments committee.

“I think Lisa has done a good job — I don’t think there is anything bad to say [about her],” he said. “I think we have a right to question what’s going on with the investigation.”

Johnson said the investigation should conclude within a week, and the rules committee will submit a report to the senate which may include a recommendation for action. While the report probably will be accepted without question, Tew said, the action that should be taken may come under fire on the senate floor.

“I don’t think the report will be controversial,” Tew said. “[The recommendation] is what might hit the fan in senate.”

Johnson said he does not know whether the rules committee will recommend action in its report.

“Honestly, we haven’t talked about it, and when we do, it will be in executive session,” he said.

The senate can move to unseal any closed records from executive session at any point in the investigation, Tew said.

Five applicants, including Sims and Benson, will be interviewed today for the election commissioner position. Other applicants include Jonathon Weaver, junior in history, Christopher Wisher, senior in pre-business, and Mary Hawkins, junior in chemical engineering.

As the rules committee continues its investigation and the rumors continue to fly between the student governments, Dlouhy said she hopes anyone with questions or complaints will go straight to her.

“If someone has something personal against me, I haven’t been made aware of it,” she said.