Editor’s note: In the minutes leading up to the publication of this story, ASI Director James Martinez reached out to The Collegian.

“There will be further updates,” Martinez said. “Stand by. I’m waiting further instructions from legal counsel about the process going forward.”

The Collegian will cover these developments as needed. 

In an Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) ruling on Thursday clearing presidential candidate Camalah Saleh of any campaign violations, details emerged regarding one of Carlie Hall’s Next Step Slate’s certified campaign workers, Aidan Brown, who filed a complaint using falsified documents to make it look like Saleh committed “possible quid pro quo arrangements and unethical campaign conduct,” according to the ruling.

Brown is a member of the Fresno State Pre-Med Club and serves as the secretary. In the complaint, he submitted a club meeting agenda and meeting notes from its Jan. 27 gathering, alleging that Saleh reached out to the club’s president offering monetary compensation in exchange for endorsement.

“Camalah Saleh offered the President of our club $2,000 in exchange for the club’s endorsement and for members to vote for her campaign,” Brown wrote in the official complaint letter to ASI. “We were simply informed of a ‘club endorsement’, not asked about it.”

According to Brown, the minutes submitted to ASI by the Pre-Med Club president, Amna Khan, were not the official minutes of the meeting. However, in an email to his club adviser, Larry Riley, he said he supported Khan’s submissions.

“I am not too sure about the allegations, but I agree with everything Amna sent,” Brown said in the email to Riley, provided to The Collegian in an email from ASI Director James Martinez.

Read the ASI ruling and supplementary information regarding allegations against Camalah Saleh

After investigation, the meeting minutes and agenda Brown submitted to ASI were deemed “false and misleading,” according to ASI. The ruling includes that the official minutes were submitted by Khan.

Brown denies the claims about being a certified worker for Hall’s campaign, saying that the complaint he filed was in regard to discrepancies in his club. Brown says he was upset that his club president decided to endorse a presidential candidate without notifying the other club members or calling for an official vote.

“The report was more on my personal behalf as secretary of the pre med club,” Brown said in a phone interview with The Collegian. “The report was not really connected to Carlie (Hall) or her slate.”

ASI found that under the “Pre-Med Club Constitution and Bylaws (Article V, Section 2, Clause 1(a)),” Khan acted within her jurisdiction as president to issue an endorsement without the consultation of club members.

According to the Hall campaign candidate worker and volunteer form, Brown is listed as an official campaign worker for the Next Step Slate; however, he denies being involved in Hall’s campaign because the form is void without his student ID and signature.

“The form lacks my signature…Nullifies anything, any recognized status,” Brown said to The Collegian.

According to the documents provided by ASI, there is an official list of campaign workers that includes Brown’s name with a note that says a screenshot of the signatures was attached. The signatures were not provided to The Collegian.

When asked if Brown wrote his name in the part of the form that lists campaign workers, he said “no comment.”

The Collegian made repeated efforts to reach Martinez on Friday evening to verify Brown’s statement and obtain a copy of the screenshot with the signatures. Martinez responded with this statement:

“I would like to respectfully note that contacting individuals with detailed inquiries of this nature after business hours—particularly via direct message at 8:23 p.m. and email at 8:25 p.m. on a Friday—is not appropriate and falls outside the boundaries of professional courtesy,” Martinez wrote. “I ask that future communications related to official or sensitive matters be sent during standard working and operating hours via email.”

If Brown’s allegations regarding Saleh’s interaction with the Pre-Med Club had been verified, it would have constituted a major violation of the ASI Election Code, including possible quid pro quo arrangements and unethical campaign conduct.

According to the documents, the claimed violations were:

• Section VII.F.5 – Major Violations “Bribing votes and quid-pro-quo voting,”
• Section V.C.3.p – Prohibited Campaign Activities “Candidates are not permitted to use their funds unethically to deter another candidate, bribe students for votes, and/or disrupt the election process”
• Section 9.3(c) – Endorsements Requires transparency, documentation, and Fresno State affiliation for any campaign endorsements.

However, the ASI report included a letter to Saleh from ASI Election Commissioner Mary Davis, declaring the complaint was formally dismissed, stating that Saleh could resume campaigning for the 2025-26 election.

“Based on the overwhelming corroboration by the Pre-Med Club executive board and clear evidence that the complaint was submitted using falsified documents, the ASI Election Commission has determined that you [Saleh] did not violate any provision of the ASI Election Code, Bylaws, or Candidate Conduct Oath,” Davis wrote.

Brown told The Collegian that the investigation is still premature and ongoing, saying that Martinez informed him of that fact after a Friday phone call.

“It’s actually still being investigated after I spoke with James earlier today,” Brown said to The Collegian.

In an email to The Collegian, Hall also said that the investigation was still underway and that Brown was not affiliated with her campaign.

“It is important to note that no ruling has been made and this is under investigation still,” Hall said in the email. “Although I’m sure the Collegian is chomping at the bit to play the role of Chief Justice against me once more, this violation lacks standing. Mr. Aidan Brown is not a an official campaign worker and never signed the necessary paperwork to be qualified as such — and to my knowledge, he’s nearing vindication. No connection to Next Step. Newspapers and single member campus courts, whether it be held by a Fresno State President or not, does not choose the ASI President — students do.”

Again, The Collegian reached out to Martinez for confirmation on the status of the ruling, but he did not respond.

According to the ASI ruling, although no disciplinary measures have currently been taken against Hall and the Next Step Slate, “further action is actively being considered,” due to the fact that “Aidan Brown’s actions — as a certified representative of your slate — are your direct responsibility under the Election Code and Candidate Oath,” Davis wrote in a notice letter to Hall and her running mates.

The notice informed the Next Step Slate that each candidate signed the oath and election code, and that their campaign is facing a “major violation,” as of March 27 under the following pretenses:

• Section VII.F.5 – False or misleading reporting of campaign information Section VII.G.1(b) – Willful defacement or sabotage by a campaign supporter
• Section 9.2(j) – Breach of the signed Candidate Oath
• Section IV.A.5 – Conditional eligibility certification by the Election Commission

With elections beginning on Tuesday, April 1, Hall’s campaign is currently awaiting “additional correspondence” from the ASI election commissions office regarding potential consequences.