Supporters of both Alumni Council-nominated trustee candidate John Replogle '88 and petition candidate Joe Asch '79 have created web sites that are critical of the opposing candidates.
JoeVsDartmouth.com, which billed itself as a web site founded by Dartmouth alumni against Asch's petition candidacy, was created on Feb. 9 and taken down on March 13. Christopher Allen '07, the chief technical officer for the shared campaign between Replogle and Kondracke, created the site, according to his user profile on Blogger.com, which also cites him as the creator of the campaign web sites of Replogle and Kondracke.
A similar web site, fairdartmouth.com created by a blogger named "Dartmouth Clean Debate" on March 12 presents a list of 23 "facts" which are primarily critical of Replogle and supportive for Asch.
When asked about the web sites, all three candidates claimed that they had no prior knowledge of the sites' existences before they were created.
"I am not responsible for [JoeVsDartmouth.com] nor do I have editorial control of it," Replogle said. "But it does look to me to be pretty factual as it mainly reports on public data and draws from recent publications in either Joe's web site or [The Dartmouth] or [the Valley News]."
Replogle added that he thought the "JoevsDartmouth" web site "can be a valuable source of information for alumni to educate themselves."
One section of the web site, "Joe vs. Dartmouth: Asch's Own Words," included two references to Asch's previous posts on the Dartblog web site, while another section offered several links to articles and letters to the editor in The Dartmouth about Asch's previous involvement with the College. The web site also included quotes from Asch in a Valley News article in which Asch expressed his doubt about College President Jim Yong Kim's appointment.
In response to the "JoevsDartmouth" web site, Asch sent an e-mail to alumni providing a link to an archived copy of the web site after it had been taken down.
"It can only be classified as a negative campaigning site," the e-mail said. "It is filled with lies and smears."
Fairdartmouth.com, which criticizes Replogle's trustee candidacy, was created one day before the "JoevsDartmouth" web site was taken down.
Both Replogle and Asch said that several of the statements listed as facts on fairdartmouth.com were untrue.
"It's just so far from the truth that to respond to it just gives it some form of legitimacy, which I don't want to give it," Replogle said.
Uncontested Council-nominated candidate Morton Kondracke '60, who is conducting a shared campaign with Replogle, posted a comment on the web site that addressed eight of the site's "errors."
Asch said he disavowed the web site, and added that it represents the first instance of negative campaigning from either his campaign or his supporters in the election.
"I have no idea who made [the web site]," Asch said. "There are a number of errors in it and frankly I would hope that alumni would look at the basic web sites of the candidates and their mailings and make an informed choice."
Replogle sent his first independent mailing to Dartmouth alumni on March 19. The mailing cost approximately $30,000, he said.
Replogle said he made his decision to sponsor a mailing after Asch sent two previous mailings to the alumni body.
Asch sent one mailing in January to alumni in order to gain the 500 signatures necessary to file as a petition trustee, followed by a second immediately before the voting period began, Asch previously told The Dartmouth.
Replogle funded his mailing using donations from "well over 30 or 40" individual College alumni, he said. Replogle declined to share the names of the donors.
Replogle used Dartmouth Undying's mailing list to gather alumni addresses, although he received no money from the organization for the mailing, he said.
Dartmouth Undying is a nonprofit organization that has actively supported several candidates nominated by the Council and the Association of Alumni in recent trustee and Association elections.
The Dartmouth Undying mailing list reaches about 30,000 College alumni, according to Martha Beattie '76, one of the organization's leaders.
The mailing details Replogle's plan to address the College's current budget deficit and includes quotations from letters endorsing Replogle's candidacy written by several College professors, 25 trustees emeriti and 10 members of the Class of 1979 executive committee.
In addition to supporting Replogle, several of the quotations criticize Asch.
Asch said that "at this point" in the election he does not intend to send another mailing nor engage in any further campaigning.
Additionally, all three trustee candidates expressed disappointment that alumni who filed a lawsuit against the Board plan to appeal the case's January dismissal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
The lawsuit, filed by a group of College alumni, challenges the Board's 2007 decision to increase the number of Board-selected trustees. The group contends that an agreement made in 1891 guarantees parity between alumni-elected and Board-selected trustees.
Replogle called the appeal "disappointing," "counterproductive for the College" and an act of "selfishness" by those continuing the lawsuit.
"Our eyes should be focused on the classroom, not the courtroom," Replogle said.
Asch also said he is against the lawsuit.
"I think the second lawsuit was a mistake," Asch said. "I don't think that the lawsuit will succeed."
