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Student council rejects resolution alleging Senator Aaron Heth didn’t ‘represent the interests of the student body as the highest priority‘
A student leader at the University of California, Davis recently withstood impeachment proceedings by the student government over his attendance at a conservative political conference linked to Turning Point USA.
Senator Aaron Heth, a political science major, received the verdict determining that he would remain in office on May 20. Elected in the fall, Heth was the subject of an impeachment hearing on May 13.
The verdict came from the Judicial Council of the Associated Students University of California Davis, and a copy was shared with The College Fix. It states that “Senator Heth attended the conference as a private citizen, not as a representative of ASUCD.”
Therefore, he was not in violation of the ASUCD Code of Ethics, the council ruled.
Heth attended the all-expense-paid conference, which was hosted by a Turning Point USA affiliate called the Campus Victory Project, in December 2025 in Arizona.
According to a 2018 brochure, the organization’s mission is to place conservative voices at “the top office of Student Body President at each of the most recognizable and influential American universities.”
The Campus Victory Project does this by funding the campaigns of conservative students seeking a spot in student government.
In the verdict about Heth’s case, the student council determined that because he attended the conference as a private citizen, he did not violate a bylaw prohibiting the acceptance of political donations.
The verdict also emphasized that student government leaders have “the right to remain free from discrimination or harassment due to their political beliefs.”
During the impeachment proceedings, Heth was described as a “closeted conservative.” Those seeking Heth’s impeachment alleged that he concealed his conservative political affiliation in order to be elected.
According to the Judicial Council’s verdict, “this argument, however, is inherently partisan” and lacks sufficient evidence.
Prior to the verdict, The College Fix contacted every student senator at UC Davis to ask about the impeachment proceedings. Only a few responded, and those who did declined to comment. The Fix asked for details about the proceedings and the allegations against Heth, as well as free speech concerns regarding this situation.
Heth also declined to comment beyond providing a copy of the verdict to The Fix.
The impeachment resolution was drafted by Senator Jaliah Payne. She did not respond to The Fix when contacted for comment.
In the resolution, Payne claimed that by attending the conservative conference, Heth violated the student government’s Code of Ethics, which states that members of the ASUCD should “advocate and represent the interests of the student body as the highest priority.”
Instead of acting in the interests of the students he represents, the resolution alleged that Heth acted in the interests of the Campus Victory Project in his campaign for president earlier this year. Heth later dropped out of the presidential race, according to an announcement on his Instagram page.
The resolution also alleged a violation of another bylaw that states, “No campaign shall accept material donations exceeding ten dollars ($10) and/or without including receipts on the Expenditure Form.”
In an interview with campus newspaper, The California Aggie, Heth said his views are not aligned with the Campus Victory Project and he “did not know anything about the organization before attending” the conference. Heth also maintained that he has not received campaign funding from either the project or TPUSA.
However, some conservatives who attend UC Davis feel represented by Heth. As The Aggie reported, these students believe the impeachment actions are a threat against conservatism, a minority view at UC Davis.
In March, The College Fix covered a similar story when Iowa State University’s student body president, Colby Grant, faced impeachment over his work with the Campus Victory Project. Grant was not removed from office as the impeachment proceedings were deemed a violation of his First Amendment rights.
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