UF student senate seeks to impeach student body president

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The University of Florida’s student senate has sent a resolution to its student body president seeking to have him impeached.  UF’s student senate sent a resolution to the campus’ student body president, Michael Murphy, yesterday. 

“We really need to take a hard stance of accountability to make sure every I was dotted and T was crossed in regards to this event” student senate member Zacariah Chou said. 

The resolution states that Murphy abused his power by paying the president’s son, Donald Trump, Jr., $50,000 to speak on campus last month. The letter accuses Murphy of, “using student fees to advance his own expressed political beliefs.” 

“We definitely know that there is a conflict of interest and funneling $50,000 to a speaking engagement that would normally sell for zero dollars is extremely suspicious,” Chou said. 

Students on the other side of the impeachment issue are speaking out, too.

“[Murphy] didn’t pay,” Florida Federation of College Republicans Chairman and UF student Daniel Weldon said. “A student government organization paid, called ACCENT Speakers Bureau. They are charged with bringing controversial and speakers from all different types and perspectives.”

We spoke with the chairman of the Florida Federation of College Republicans. 

“I wasn’t surprised, knowing some of the people who are spearheading that movement,” Weldon said. “Really none of it shocked me that, of course, some of the Democrat's first reaction would be impeach, impeach, impeach.”

FOX 35 made multiple attempts to get in touch with Michael Murphy, including stopping by his office in the student union. A student government staff member told us he hadn’t been in his office that day and that multiple media outlets had been trying to get in touch with him.

Now that the resolution has been sent, there will be an impeachment trial on campus and then a vote, but there is no time table yet for when any of that will happen.