The Associated Student Government Executive Committee will hold a financial misconduct hearing Monday about Exigent Theatre Company, whose president has admitted to forging his treasurer’s signature to use Exigent funds for an Arts Alliance show.

Although the financial misconduct charges are against Exigent President Alex Burns and not the group as a whole, the group could lose ASG recognition, Executive Vice President Srikanth Reddy said.

“The issue could be considered embezzlement, which is as serious as financial misconduct gets,” Reddy, a McCormick junior, said.

Burns said he made a mistake when he forged the treasurer’s signature to use a $500 donation to Exigent for the Arts Alliance fall production of “Angels in America,” which he directed.

“Where this becomes tricky and confusing is that the $500 was money given to us with the intent of funding ‘Angels in America,'” said Burns, a Speech junior. “What I should have done is deposited it straight into the Arts Alliance account, but because the check was made out to Exigent Theatre Company, I couldn’t.”

After the money was put into the group’s Student Organization Finance Office account, Burns signed the treasurer’s name on a voucher to transfer money to the Arts Alliance account, he said.

Exigent’s former treasurer, Vera Lester, said she has not acted as the group’s treasurer since January 2001 and was not concerned about Burns forging her signature.

“The only reason it was a bad idea is because of the way he was doing the finances for ‘Angels in America,'” said Lester, a Speech senior. “But as far as him signing my name or committing fraud or anything, it doesn’t bother me.”

Exigent’s SOFO account has been frozen and the group cannot access the funds until the issues have been resolved.

Lester said the bureaucracy surrounding use of the accounts partially justifies Burns’ actions.

“Basically what Alex was doing was subverting the red tape in student theater and in SOFO,” said Lester. “All of the SOFO guidelines are there because of (Student Activities Finance Board) funds. If there were SAFB funds in (Exigent’s account) I would feel more strangely about it, but right now SOFO is just our bank.”

Since Exigent is a B-status group, it does not receive money from the Student Activities Fee. All money in a SOFO account is subject to university policy, Reddy said.

Exigent’s ASG adviser, Joel Richlin, works with all ASG-recognized student theater groups. Although the groups help each other out, Richlin said it is unusual for theater groups to fund each others’ shows.

“We definitely share things, but nobody shares money,” said Richlin, a Weinberg junior. “It’s not a common thing and it’s very regulated.”

Burns said the financial misconduct proceedings could strengthen the group’s structure.

“It’s been really good because it has allowed us as an organization to make sure our group’s administrative side is organized,” he said.

Exigent is electing new officers next week, Burns said, but he will not run for office because he hopes to graduate in the fall.

“In the information we have received, (the charges have) been directed at me as an individual and not the group as a whole, so hopefully this will not affect the group when I am not the president,” he said.

The ASG Executive Committee will present its recommendation to Senate on Wednesday.