Native American Press/Ojibwe News
May 2, 1996
By Gary Blair
Jury selection was completed this week in the trial of the White Earth
Reservations's notorious Darrel "Chip" Wadena gang.
Charged last fall in a 44-count federal felony indictment were the
gang's leader, tribal chairman Darrell "Chip" Wadena, secretary/tresurer
Jerry Rawley and council member Rick Clark. Wadena was charged with bid
rigging, receiving kickbacks, income tax evasion and money laundering.
Rawley and clark were charged with similar offenses, including election
fraud.
Also indicted for election fraud was Wadena's pair election judge,
Carley "Baby Dall" Jasken and two pulic notaries, Henry "Crock" Harper and
Leech Lake enrollee Peter Pequette.
Harper was not present in court for the jury selction, but will
stand trial at a later date. His attorney reported to the court that Harper
is suffering from a heart ailment.
[Jury delection was delayed for a week, when chairman Wadena was
hospitalized for "a heart ailment. Leech Lake conspiracy trial was also
postponed when secretary treasurer Dan brown was hospitalized for a heart
ailment."]
Seated at the defense table for the start of jury selection on
Monday were Chip, Rawley, Clark, Baby Doll, and Pequette. Also seated
among the gang members were eight attorneys and a juror analyst who helped
pick the jury.
Seven of the eight defense lawyers present were retained with
reservation funds. Pequette's attorney is a public defender. Three of the
attorneys are representiong Chip.
The trial is scheduled to start on May 13, 1996, at 9:00 a.m. and is
expected to last four to six weeks. A group of tribal members say they plan
to protest against Wadena in front of the federal courthouse in St. Paul on
the day the trial starts.
Wadena told a Duluth News Tribune reporter four years ago, after he
declared himself an election winner for the fourth time, "To the winner
goes the spoils: the rest can suck eggs!" Demonstrators plan to carry signs
that read: "Who is sucking eggs now, Chip?"
Prosecutors say they plan to introduce over 800 documents during
the trial and could potentially call more than 300 witnesses.
The courtroom will once agin be equipped with high-tech video
equipment, similar to the type used at bingo games to help players see the
number on the monitors. Only this time the monitors will be used to show
the paper trail of Chip's gang.
With tribal elections scheduled for June 11, a verdict may not
occur before that date. However, Chip has already been quoted by the media
as saying he's the "man to beat." Wadena has rehired the indicted Baby
Dall as this year's election judge, apparently planning to steal another
election.
The election fraud indictments involved the reservation's off-year
election two years ago, in which Chip was not a candidate. A federal
probe revealed that deceased tribal embers's names were used on some of the
absentee ballots and that other tribal members had voted twice, once in
person and once on fraudulent absentee ballots sent through the U.S. Mail.
Relatives of one of the deceased say federal authorities told them
that the name of the Sharon (Sargent) Boyd had been used in the election
fraud ever since her death over ten years ago. Another deceased tribals
member's name that was used in the election fraud scheme for over 15 years.
Reports coming from White Earth say Chip has threatened to kick
tribal members off the reservation if they attend the trial. White Earth
residents the PRESS spoke with say they plan to pack the federal courtroom
in St. Paul, Minnesota the 13th.
Additional reports from White Earth say Wadena has been telling
tribal members that he alone has a gaming compact with Minnesota Governor
Arne Carlson, and that if he is not elected they could lose the
reservation's Shooting Star casino to investors. Wadena is also reportedly
threating to close the casino if he is not re-elected, and has suggested
that termination might follow his removal from office.
The press has a copy of the White Earth gaming agreement. That
compact says the gaiming agreement is between the state and the White Earth
people. Also apparent in Chip's remarks is his belief that he owns the
offices of White Earth Tribal chairman. Others say Wadena knows he will
not be safe on the reservation if he is convicted and he does not want to
face that uncertainty.
feather eaglerock, leech lake rez
english is a foreign language. reclaim the language of your people and
send it to the future as your gift to your grandchildren's grandchildren.
di-ka-ne'-tsv a'-qua-tse'-li ha-htv-gi, wa-do' do-da-da-go'-hv