The Undergraduate Council rejected two articles of impeachment and voted not to remove Vice President John A. Burton '01 from office last night.

Though the vote fell far short of the two-thirds required to remove Burton from office, a slim majority--41 council members, with 38 opposing--supported the second article of impeachment. The article claimed that Burton infringed upon the rights of a student group by taking campaign materials from the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters' Alliance (BGLTSA) without the group's permission.

The council also voted 47 to 33 against the first article of impeachment, which alleged that Burton had lied to the Election Commission about whether other campaigns had access to the buttons.

Council President Fentrice D. Driskell '01 said she was relieved by the council's decision. But she said the vote was a mixed victory, as more than half the council believed Burton had ethical violations serious enough to warrant removal from office.

"It makes you wonder what's next for us," Driskell said. "At times it's not going to be easy, but we can't afford to stop."

Burton declined to comment during the meeting and could not be reached for comment afterward.

The meeting, which filled Sever 113, drew about 30 Burton supporters who wore yellow ribbons reminiscent of the yellow bandanas and armbands worn during Driskell and Burton's campaign. As council members voted on the articles of impeachment, several supporters held up signs saying "Support the people's choice," and "Down with Buttongate."

The debate began with an opening statement by Frank X. Leonard '01, who argued that Burton misrepresented the BGLTSA buttons as a freely available resource, and that other candidates could not have used the buttons.