After the reading of LEGISLATION 0352-14, which involves Navajo Oil and Gas, Delegate Leonard Tsosie raised concerns over whether the court’s temporary restraining order prevented some of the Delegates who are also Navajo Oil and Gas Board members and Shareholders from taking action on Legislation 0352-13.
Personally, this is why Elected Officials/Politicians have no business being on Boards, Commissions, School Boards.
DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
According to court order, Navajo Oil And Gas Board members and staff are prohibited from taking any action. And so sponsor Delegate LoRenzo Bates is violating court order. And there is no second to motion by Delegate Elmer Begay because Delegate Russell Begaye is board member and so are Delegates Kenneth Maryboy and myself.
And Navajo Oil and Gas paid Maryboy’s foundation and that is conflict of interest.
(According to Navajo Oil and Gas documents, Oil and Gas CEO bought a $30,000 tent for Delegate Kenneth Maryboy for Kenneth’s Santa Claus Foundation. So if you’re at a Kenneth Maryboy presidential campaign event and he’s using a really huge tent, check to see if it came from O’Henry’s Production in Texas. And if Kenneth is using that tent for political purposes then Navajo Oil and Gas contributed to his presidential campaign and that is illegal…)
DELEGATE RUSSELL BEGAYE
We are not in Shareholders meeting and why we always separate ourselves. When we walk into Shareholders meeting, we leave our Council Delegate hat at door. Here we are acting as Council Delegates.
SPEAKER PRO TEMP SMITH ASKS FOR TRIBAL ATTORNEY DANA BOBROFF FOR LEGAL CLARIFICATION
DELEGATE KENNETH MARYBOY
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL DANA BOBROFF
Council is not part of court order. The Shareholder Representatives should be active as Council Delegates. If they cannot do that and act as Shareholder representatives then they could recuse themselves and they shud think about that. The lawyers representing Navajo Oil and Gas begin up here blurs lines. Perry Shirley up here as presenter and he is current Navajo Oil and Gas Board President and hope he got legal advice about that.
Once again, conflict of interest, delegate knows all of the details and if feel conflict of interest then recuse but if don’t then after the vote, there are procedures under Ethics Law and another Delegate can raise conflict of interest. It’s inappropriate for department of justice to determine if delegate conflicted because we don’t have all the information.
DELEGATE KATHERINE BENALLY
If these delegates who are shareholders recuse themselves then the Council still retains quorum?
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL BOBROFF
I need to research.
COUNCIL RECESSES AT 3:40 PM FOR BOBROFF TO DO LEGAL RESEARCH
