"We didn't consider that he hadn't asked for permission," he says. "He made it seem like any candidate could just go up and get buttons. [If we had known,]we would have had to have taken more serious action--maybe he would have gotten kicked out of the campaign."

Burton estimated Monday afternoon that he took only 50 or 60 buttons. Told that an election commission e-mail message had pinned the number at 180, Burton acknowledged the actual number was "probably over 100."

Despite the latest controversy Driskell said she is standing by Burton.

"Part of being in a partnership is trying to counteract each other's weaknesses," she said.

Some council members say such loyalty might not be the best tactic for Driskell. Burton has been at the center of most of the controversies that have bogged down Driskell's nascent administration.

The new president said she was not sure who had given Burton permission to use the buttons.

Since the election, the two have been accused of putting campaign material in all first-year mailboxes, which is against University policy. Several council members have also alleged that Driskell and Burton overspent their campaign limit, which the candidates deny.