Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma files lawsuit against Wilma Mankiller
cherokee observer (cwyob@galaxy.galstar.com)
Sat, 2 Sep 1995 18:12:42 -0500
MANKILLER SUED BY CNO
Friday, September 1, 1995, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma filed a
federal lawsuit against former Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller for alleged
misappropriation of funds.
The Cherokee Nation Council voted in a special meeting August 31 to
employ ouside counsel to recover the funds. The sole vote against this
measure came from Harold "Jiggs" Phillips, District 2. He declined to
comment on why he voted "NO." Troy Poteete, District 4 abstained from voting.
The Cherokee Nation suit requests:
-----The courts to require Mankiller to give an accounting under oath for
each and every "unlawful expenditure of federal and tribal funds under the
control of the Secretary of Interior."
-----Attorney fees, cost and interest
The lawsuit alleges Mankiller authorized "severance" pay to eleven tribal
and Bingo Outpost employees who resigned before Principal Chief Joe Byrd
was inaugurated August 14. The payments in question total more than
Nate Young III, who was an outspoken supporter of Wilma's hand picked
candidate, George Bearpaw during the recent tribal elections, was retained
by the council and filed suit September 1 in the U.S. District Court in
Muskogee.