After leaving the Government of the Student Body cabinet a week ago, Todd Henderson said he resigned because GSB President Adam Gold has a consistent disregard for the interest of the student body.

“We used to have a representative form of student government, but now we have a benevolent dictatorship,” Henderson said.

Henderson resigned as GSB director of academic affairs on Nov. 11 because of a “lack of ethical principle” by Gold, he said. “Things that were said behind closed doors were a 180-degree turn from what was being said publicly. Adam should rule by example and not by command.”

Henderson said things came to a head at a recent fact-finding meeting with the executive board of the College Republicans. The meeting was held in response to Daily articles about ballot box stuffing during an Oct. 23 mock election. Henderson said Gold attended the meeting uninvited.

Nicole Jepsen, All-University Judiciary member and College Republicans treasurer, was also at the meeting.

“Adam Gold was not invited to the meeting by the executive board of the College Republicans, and when he got there he took charge,” she said.

Gold said that’s simply not true. He said he was invited to the meeting by two College Republican executive board members.

“I was invited by Mary Lee Dichman and Steve Baumgarten. Without a doubt, I was invited,” Gold said. “And I did stand up and talk first at the meeting. Todd had accused students of stuffing the ballot box, two of which are GSB members. As far as the truth goes, students were not involved.”

Jepsen said Gold told those at the meeting that the issue should be dropped.

“We didn’t leave the room until we all agreed it was going to be a dead issue,” Jepsen said.

Here’s where Henderson’s and Gold’s accounts of the meeting vary.

“Adam came to the meeting to quiet the story that would reflect poorly on him,” Henderson said.

Henderson said it was “high-ranking people in GSB” who stuffed the ballot box.

Other Republicans and Gold have suggested that former GOP senatorial candidate Jim Ross Lightfoot’s aide Eric Hower was the guilty party.

Gold said no ISU students, including GSB officials, were involved in any inpropriety.

“I told Todd that I didn’t want to get involved, which I had to do later because of the implications that Todd made,” Gold said. “He stormed out of the room at the meeting that night.”

Henderson said he also resigned because the cabinet served as damage control for Gold.

“We were there to keep Adam out of trouble. Adam threatened us at cabinet meetings and said … don’t ever make me look bad,” Henderson said.