The Student Assembly Office of Ethics has encountered “unexpected delays” in the investigation into several high-ranking Assembly members and will not be releasing its report at the Thursday, April 11 S.A. meeting as originally scheduled.
The report, which is looking into the ethical practices of Vice Presidents George Rocco DeLorenzo ’24, Clyde Lederman ’26 and Claire Ting ’25 and President Patrick Kuehl ’24, is now planned to be released on Saturday, April 13 at noon. The investigation comes after The Sun reported on leaked text messages that revealed plans to harness the power of a Greek life “machine” on the Student Assembly during last year’s election cycle.
The Office of Ethics is in the final stages of compiling and analyzing the information received from interviews and reviewing evidence, but “several unforeseen complexities have arisen,” Ethics Director Alhassan Bangura ’25 wrote in an email obtained by The Sun. “These complexities require additional time and attention to ensure that the report is comprehensive, accurate and reflective of our commitment to transparency and integrity,” he continued.
Bangura proposed a special meeting of the Student Assembly to convene on Sunday, April 14 at 4 p.m. to formally present and discuss the report and the Office’s recommendations.
The email confirms that the scope of the investigation is from Nov. 30, 2022 — the day before an Assembly meeting in which a resolution called “Condemning Greek Life” was introduced and objected to by DeLorenzo, then the Interfraternity Council president — until the present day.
The day after the Greek life resolution was adopted, DeLorenzo messaged then-Assembly member Pedro Da Silveira ’25 that the “SA will definitely look different next semester” and that the resolution was targeted and hate speech. Further messages refer to a “machine greek life sweep” in the upcoming 2023 elections.
Some messages also imply behind-the-scenes negotiations between the IFC and the Cornell Democrats in fielding and endorsing candidates, the latter group being negotiated through Lederman.
The upcoming Student Assembly election cycle was previously delayed one week to allow the campus community time to read the findings of the ethical investigation prior to voting. Director of Elections Luke Thomas ’27 said he anticipates the new timeline, which places the voting period start date on Monday, April 15, can be maintained barring any further unexpected delays.
Update, April 13, 2024, 3:55 p.m.: The ethics report has yet to be published, though Ethics Director Alhassan Bangura ’25 told The Sun the report will be public prior to Sunday’s special meeting.