BOE Passes The Buck To Attorney General On Hansen’s Eligibility
CIF President Michael J. Springer, Jr.
The question was simple: Was Alicia Hansen eligible to run for Senate last November?
Crucians In Focus asked the St. Croix Board of Elections (BOE) and on Wednesday, the BOE decided to ask the Attorney General and give him three weeks to answer the question.
CIF President Michael Springer, who attended what he described as a “tense” hearing, summarized the outcome as follows:
“While we are pleased that the Board of Elections put the complaint and question on the agenda, I can’t understand how the organization that made the decision to allow Hansen to run could not state the rationale for that decision or justify it now that it is being questioned,” he said. “This is the body that is elected and charged with enforcing election policy front to back,” Springer said. “Why does this group need the attorney general to tell them how to interpret their own rules?”
CIF filed a formal complaint with the BOE challenging whether Hansen, on probation after being convicted of failing to file three years of income taxes, was eligible to be a candidate for public office in last November’s election. Under Virgin Islands law, probationers are not eligible to vote and one of the requirements for public office is that all candidates be qualified voters.
In previous responses to this matter, Supervisor of Elections John Abramson said he had investigated the matter of Hansen’s eligibility when she filed for candidacy last year and determined that she was eligible to run. Abramson was not present at Wednesday’s hearing.
St. Croix BOE member Bert Bryan moved to have the item placed first on the meeting agenda, and challenged the group after District Chairman Rupert Ross declined to discuss or settle the issue at the board level, but rather to refer it to the AG for review.
In an interesting choice of words, Ross said that “suspicious circumstances” facing the board should be referred to the Department of Justice for review and said he thought that was a better approach to address the issue of Hansen’s eligibility.
“We could do it that way (discuss at the Board level),” Ross said, “or send it to the Attorney General and then based on his opinion the Board can act based on how it wishes to act.”
Ross agreed to put a timeframe on the review, stating that an opinion would be expected within three weeks at which point, “the Board may or may not decide to follow that opinion in deciding how to proceed.”
Bryan countered that legal precedent already exists for the board to use in its decision making process but was ultimately overruled.
Hansen attended the meeting with some members of her Legislative staff “who we hope were taking administrative leave and were not there on the taxpayer’s dime,” Springer said.
In comments following the session, Hansen continued to evade the issue, which is that the challenge to her eligibility is her probationary status, and not the category of the crime from which that status resulted. Hansen also continues to accuse those who have raised the question of “orchestrating” her removal from the Senate for reasons other than whether she was a qualified candidate.
Springer said he chooses to remain focused on the question at hand, and not get lost in all the irrelevant rhetoric.
“From the beginning, we have concentrated on getting an answer to only one question – under the law, as an unqualified voter, was Hansen an eligible candidate,” Springer said. “That’s all.
“Everything else is just designed to distract people from the issue – and we will not be distracted,” he said.
“Houston: We have a problem”
Something is wrong here. No word from the AG. No questions from BOE. No questions from senators. Nada. Zip.
Is it time to recall every BOE member that voted to return Abramson to supervisor?
Abramson must have some good dirt on ALL of them, including senators & AG. Could it be that every last one of them is part to the corrupted election system?
We need some good news of the proof real soon. Maybe Thursday?
NEWS FLASH:
Rupert Ross has called a special meeting of the BOE to adress the opinion of AG.
9:30am Thursday the 21st, this week.
Mr. Springer has been invited to testify.
Come one, come all.
Come sign the petition to recall Rupert Ross.
Stuck, Wednesday is the 21st not the 22nd. Can you please clarify if the meeting is Wednasedy or Thursday. Thanks.
Oops.
Thursday the 22nd. Senior moment…
Thanks Stuck.