Posted on 01/11/2005 5:09:36 AM PST by livius
Named in a federal elections complaint alleging wrongdoing in paying filmmaker Michael Moore to speak before the presidential election, the University of Florida filed its response to the charges late Monday.
David T. Hardy, an Arizona lawyer, filed suit claiming that the University tried to influence the outcome of the election by bringing Moore to campus. This would obviously be a violation of the policy for use of funds by a public entity.
The University claims that they were doing it simply to encourage discussion, and that they did not advocate, oppose or favor any political party in paying him $50,000 (of student activity funds) to speak.
I was present at this event, and it was nothing but a Kerry pep rally. While I did not go inside, but protested outside with a group of other GOPers, people who did hear the speech commented on the fact that Moore openly urged attendees to vote for Kerry, even cutting down the Green party candidate because he said it would take votes away from Kerry.
Further, in order to afford Moore, the University had to violate its own policies regarding limits to the amount of funds that can be used for an activity.
I'm pinging you all because you were the only Florida Freepers I could think of off the bat. This little article appeared rather surreptitiously in the Gainesville paper, and I doubt it will be reported elsewhere. But because it involves the political doings of UF, I think it's of interest to Floridians (and others).
Not surprising from a school notorious for a Jane Fonda anti-war rally in the early 70's and which views itself as the "Harvard of the South." Perhaps its more like Berkely, without the academics (and with the NCAA record for recruiting violations and related cheating-- 117, I think) :)
They ain't getting any more money from me, that's for sure.
bump
I think they also alienated a lot of students by doing this. When I was at the event, I heard several kids complaining that their student activities fee was going to fund this blatantly political event.
Not surprising at all. You should have seen the event - every gray-haired anti-Vietnam protester and shrivelled up NOW activist from miles around showed up.
Exactly, they took money that could have been used for concerts to pay for a Kerry Rally.
She, in turn, had sheltered professor Sami al Arian in the faculty fold at her university.
Al Arian was (is) the US frontman for one of the largest terrorist-group coalitions in the world - Islamic Jihad.
Berzerkely, California does not have a lock hold on traitors and leftists running amok on campus. These pointy-head traitors and radicals abound in Florida and almost every other state, also.
They're coming to get your kids, tra la.
Leni
Of course, they brought a well-known conservative such as Ann Coulter to ensure that any "encouraged discussion" is even-handed (/sarcasm)
I remember when I was at UF they had Former Pres. Bush speak within a year after 9/11 and he was extremely popular with the crowd. But then about a year later they paid Clinton some totally outrageous fee to speak.
So UF ACCENT does allow both sides to speak generally. However, since this was right before the election, they should have paid a Pro-Bush speaker equal money and time to come speak.
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