Kahgegab ousted from council

Scott Csernyik

1/25/2005 12:00:00 AM

District 1 Tribal Council Representative Maynard Kahgegab Jr. was removed from office on June 2 regarding allegations of misconduct, dishonesty and neglect of duty while in office.

Tribal Council voted 7-3 on the measure to remove Kahgegab-who was suspended May 11. Voting for the removal were Sub-Chief Bernie Sprague, Treasurer Charmaine Benz, Secretary Ruth Moses, as well as District 1 Representatives Brent Jackson and Michael Floyd; District 2 Representative LeEtta Hansen and District 3 Representative Michele Stanley. District 1 Representatives Delores Jackson, Milton "Beaver" Pelcher and Diana Quigno-Grundahl voting against the measure.

No determination had been made by Tribal Council about filling the vacant position through appointment or election as of a June 11 press date.

Kahgegab's removal in accordance with Article IV, Section 14(a) of the Tribal Constitution and Section 10 of Tribal Ordinance No. 19 for misconduct, dishonesty and neglect of duty while in office.

They include allegedly issuing directives to deactivate a card-swipe system in Tribal Operations; reconnecting feature stories to the Tribe's Web site regarding his activities during the prior Tribal Council administration; sending an unauthorized letter to the Tribe's former lobbying firm therefore delaying and obstructing the Tribe's cooperation with a U.S. Senate investigation; as well as requesting, receiving and taking possession of confidential documents. Neglect of duty allegations stemmed from continued unexcused absences from Tribal Council meetings.

Kahgegab has been on Tribal Council since August of 1999. He served as Tribal chief under the prior Tribal Council administration and has adamantly defended the work former lobbyists Greenberg Traurig and Capitol Campaign Strategies performed.

"While I view some of these actions as nothing more than political retaliation, frivolous and politically motivated to prevent opposing views on Council, I will as a courtesy to Tribal members who are entitled to know the truth, respond in detail to the so-called charges," stated Kahgegab in a six-page presentation given to Tribal Council at his hearing. "I honestly do not expect some of the council members to vote on the facts, but on the basis of their political opposition to me. I would only point out that a day of election reckoning with the voting members of the Tribe will come."

In a June 9 interview with the Tribal Observer, Kahgegab called the charges and subsequent removal action "political boulderdash."

According to the notice of removal action issued May 11 and voted on June 2, Kahgegab allegedly:

-Directed a Tribal Council employee to draft a memorandum from himself to Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police ordering that the card-swipe system be deactivated in the Tribal Center. "You took this action despite your knowledge that the chief instituted this additional security measure as a protection against a potential confrontation between various factions of people protesting and/or supporting the recall petitions being delivered that day by the Tribal Clerk."

-The directive to "reconnect feature stories to the Tribe's Web site relating to your activities during the prior administration...was made without the approval of the Tribal Council or the Tribal chief and was in direct conflict with the directive issued to remove these materials by the Tribal chief."

-"Your letter [to the lobbying firm of Greenberg Traurig dated March 25] was not shared with or approved by the Tribal Council or the Tribal chief and was an attempt to undermine the Tribal chief's authority as executive officer of the Tribe to cooperate in a federal investigation of this firm."

-A letter dated Feb. 26 to U.S. Sen. John McCain was a misrepresentation and distortion of the facts. "Your activities in this regard were counterproductive to the Tribal chief's correspondence to Sen. MCain pledging cooperation with his investigation" and an attempt to influence McCain's decision to investigate these firms.

-A directive to return materials addressed to Kahgegab personally and received in the Tribal Council chambers was ignored. "You did not have Tribal Council authority to request or receive documents from this firm which are the property of the Tribe and your actions undermine the Tribe's position..."

-"You were informed of scheduled meetings with the Tribal Council, but refused to attend a majority of these meetings and instead remained in your office without attending meetings conducted throughout the day. These continued absences prevent the Tribal membership from being fully represented on the Tribal Council and impede you duties to act in the best interests of the Tribe and to be responsive to the needs of Tribal members."