Campus Flyer Caper

CAMPUS FLYER CAPER

DePue Exposes Himself

A series of three malicious fiyers in the worst Nixon-Segretti-Colson tradition have appeared on the U.M. campus over the past few weeks.

The first, "EXPOSING THE COVER-UP." signed by George DePue's five member ARM/New Morning insinuates that Student Government Council president Lee Gill attempted unsuccessfully to embezzle $8,500 of SGC funds. Accusing the Michigan Daily, SGC and U.M. administrators of conspiring to cover up this evil deed, it ends cryptically. "For further information call the conspirators." (The conspirators named are the strangest bedfellows in university history. Since when have Fleming, SGC and the Daily cooperated on anything?)

New Morning refuses to communicate with the SUN or sell our paper so we have a problem discovering what they're really up to. But from all outward appearances they operate New Morning Books, Friends of the Newsreel (a U.M. film society), and Media Access Center. (See the interview with John Sinclair in issue No. 53 for a more complete rundown.)

The second of the three leaflets, the "DAILY-JOHNSON-GILL COVER-UP," is marked "Confidential" and signed Pew DeGeorge, New Evening/Leg in a parody of George's first leaflet. It actually accuses Lee of trying to embezzle not only the $8,500. but $2,875 of other funds. Detailing the roles of the other "conspirators" in the "cover-up" it finally demands: Lee Gill's recall from office, a cut in the Daily's funding, the firing of U.M. Vice-President Henry Johnson and the defeat of the present SGC in the current election. Inspired by DePue's initial slander, this leaflet reportedly originates with conservative opponents of Lee Gill's Student Rights Party.

Leaflet number two was on the streets only 24 hours before the DePueites shot back with another New Morning leaflet "EXPOSING THE COVER-UP," attacking number two as slanderous and racist, and denying any connection between it and their leaflet. They dubiously explained that their leaflet had not accused Lee, but had merely informed the public of facts it had every right to know.

Just for the record, Lee Gill has been exonerated of any hanky-panky whatsoever. The transaction was an authorized and perfectly legal attempt to get SGC's money out of a bank account controlled by former SGC treasurer Dave Shaper and former SGC president Bill Jacobs. During their terms in office SGC's finances had plunged into a suspiciously chaotic state. SGC now keeps all its money in the U.M. office of student accounts. Where were George DePue's flyers last year when Shaper and Jacobs were pulling their shenanigans?

This whole scandal can be traced to a racist bank teller who after taking one look at Lee Gill (SGC's first black president) thought it was her patriotic duty to blow the whistle on him. After all, what black person could possibly be legally involved in such a large transaction? The police were only too glad to investigate. They've been trying to bust Lee ever since he got out of Milan Prison two years ago.

George DePue now says he knew of the slanderous 2nd leaflet ahead of time and was only trying to protect Lee Gill by getting the real facts out. If he was so interested in the welfare of Lee Gill why didn't he talk to Lee before the flyer came out to find out the real story? To quote an old phrase, "With friends like that, who needs enemies?"

(continued on page 13 DEPUE continued from page 1)

Current SGC members have quite a different analysis of DePue's motivations.

University administrators and Regents are attempting a crackdown directed at George DePue's film group, Friends of the Newsreel, but liable to adversely affect other student organizations like New World Film Coop.

The crackdown is partly in response to complaints by film distributors that certain film societies have been ripping them off. This gives Ann Arbor a bad name and makes it more difficult for other local groups to obtain films from these same companies.

U.M. Administrators have proposed that all the funds of organizations using U.M. auditoriums for commercial purposes be administrated by Maurice Rinkel's Office of Student Accounts. This would be an inefficient and cumbersome system for the film societies, but would mean the U.M. would keep an eye on everyone's money.

SGC has a milder proposal. They merely want a yearly audit of those student organizations' books.

"I think George put out this leaflet so he could say that SGC passed these rules to get back at him for exposing Lee." said an SGC member, "His books couldn't stand an audit."

SGC is concerned that groups are using their status as student organizations for personal financial gain. Low cost use of auditoriums and a tax exempt status for all student organizations is a good deal.

"New Morning's status as a student organization is questionable," said another SGC member, "After all, where are all the students?"

The publication of these slanderous flyers fits into a familiar pattern that has emerged with the rise of any new dynamic leader of the black, student or other liberation movement. As soon as people begin to respond to such a leader a campaign of harassment and smears is mounted against them, not only by their immediate political opponents and the government, but even by other members of what is known as the "Left."

The motivation for these attacks varies. The government sees a leader as a threat to its control, political opponents want to seize power for their own use, others may be jealous and there is always the possibility of government agents.

But the net effect of these attacks is the same, causing doubt, confusion and disillusionment as people drop back into cynicism and inaction thinking that, indeed, there is nothing to believe in and no one to rely on for the truth. All this benefits the ruling class, serving to keep people from challenging the power they hold over the political, economic and cultural realities of their lives.

Such is the case at the U.M. Lee Gill, the first black SGC president is proving himself to be a dynamic leader of revitalizing programs for the student community. A once dormant SGC fraught with financial mismanagement has again come to life as a force to be reckoned with by the Regents and U.M. administration.

The Ann Arbor police have tried to pin charges on him and right-wing political opponents have tried to use his prison record against him, all to no avail. George DePue's ARM/New Morning has now joined this movement. It makes one wonder, just who's side are they on? One SGC member speculates, "George is a perverse egomaniac or else a government agent."

-Linda Ross

Just for the record, Lee Gill has been exonerated of any hanky panky.