It seems it's turned into a game of "he said, she said" (See AUCR, A1).
On one side, Alabamians 4 Truth claim Auburn University Republicans chairman Michael Lee has abused group funds.
On the other side, Lee and members of his executive staff claim that the allegations have "been addressed," and the group is moving forward.
However, the truth between the lines is obvious.
While Lee and his subordinates may not have broken a single guideline in the AUCR constitution, this does not mean they acted ethically. And if ethics mean anything to Lee, he will see that this situation is far from resolved, and concrete action must be taken to rectify it and ensure it does not happen again.
The defense of "no guidelines" can only go so far. Of course there were no guidelines in the constitution that mentioned hundreds of dollars for personal expenses at restaurants and on trips.
These are things that should be common sense to anyone in a leadership position who is responsible for managing funds, especially when the majority of those funds come from member dues.
While Lee has attempted to downplay his personal relationship with Alex Schriver in his decision to use AUCR funds to make a donation to Schriver's campaign, it is clear more played into this decision than the simple fact that Schriver is an AUCR alum.
If this were the sole reason for the donation, then AUCR members should have at least been informed their dues contributed to this donation. The members have a right to know where the organization's money is going, and Lee and his staff have still not produced an adequate explanation as to why the members were not informed. Again, the "not in our guidelines" defense only proves further incompetence.
Regardless of what is obvious to even the most casual observer, no action will be taken to remove the entrenched Lee unless AUCR members demand it themselves.
While the efforts of Alabamians 4 Truth are admirable, it is unfortunate they only came forward as a last resort, giving Lee the chance to resign multiple times. Had he accepted their request, all of the abuse would have been swept under the rug, with AUCR members never learning their dues had been mismanaged.
Thus, the responsibility to rectify the situation lies in the hands of AUCR members.
They must come together, be it through Alabamians 4 Truth or other external help, to once again take control of their organization from leadership that has clearly failed in its responsibility to its members.
Transparency should be expected from the top, but it also must be demanded from the bottom.
The ball is now in the court of every AUCR member. They can either demand change, or turn a blind eye to this unethical behavior.
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