Vice President Shelly fires top aide to Shirley

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In a sign of further political turmoil, Vice President Ben Shelly abruptly asked Patrick Sandoval, chief of staff, to resign Tuesday evening.

Shelly did not provide a reason to Sandoval or in a statement released Wednesday.

"I am making changes," Shelly stated in the release. "Government must continue ... and I need a team of staff who will devote their very best."

Sandoval was appointed by President Joe Shirley Jr., who is now in his sixth week of administrative leave. Shirley said Wednesday he was not involved in Sandoval's removal.

Shelly has been handling Shirley's official duties since the latter was relieved of duty Oct. 26 by the Navajo Nation Council. He named Deputy Chief of Staff Isabelle Walker to take over from Sandoval.

Sandoval, who immediately complied with the request for his resignation, said Wednesday he was not told the reason for his termination. He surmised that the council had applied pressure on Shelly, who represented Thoreau Chapter as a delegate before becoming vice president in 2002.

"There was no reason stated," Sandoval said. "My presumption is that the vice president is succumbing to the wishes of certain council members."

Shelly's statement alludes to Sandoval's name being on a list of those associated with failed business dealings that cost the tribe millions. The list was part of an investigation commissioned by the council - the same investigation that led it to place Shirley on leave.

Sandoval said Shelly never expressed concern about that, however, and he thinks the pressure to axe him stemmed instead from his active role in Shirley's campaign to reduce the council from 88 to 24 members.

"The vice president has made several statements about that to me," Sandoval said.

The investigation into the OnSat and BCDS business deals was done by outside law firms and findings were presented to Attorney General Louise Denetsosie, who said he will seek a special prosecutor to continue the inquiry.

As of Wednesday afternoon, no one else on the list of officials with possible involvement, which includes other top Shirley appointees, had been axed.

The president's chief of staff is a political appointment, which means the president can fire that person any time, with or without a reason.

However, Shirley had no say in Sandoval's removal and said in an interview Wednesday afternoon, "I don't agree with it. I don't like it."

He said Shelly should have discussed it with him first.

"That's the way it should have happened - I should have been consulted," Shirley said. "He should have said, 'You're still the president even while on administrative leave. I want to release (Sandoval), what are your comments?' That's the way it should have happened."

The council voted to place Shirley on paid administrative leave Oct. 26, so that further investigation could be done to determine if legal or ethical violations occurred in connection with either business dealing.

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Shirley said his leave could end at any time, further calling into question the reason or need to fire his key staff assistant.

"We don't know when the president will be back, I might be back tomorrow," Shirley said. "It doesn't make any sense to be releasing anybody."

Sherrick Roanhorse, who was filling in as Shelly's spokesman Wednesday, said the vice president made an informed decision.

"Every step he makes he does so responsibly," Roanhorse said in a statement. "The former chief of staff is under serious review by the Department of Justice which interferes in his confidence to fulfill his duty."

Shirley said he didn't know Shelly's motive and had not heard any rumblings about pressure from the council affecting his decision.

Sandoval said he is sure the council played a part in his termination, likely because of his work on Shirley's 88-to-24 initiative.

"He told me people wanted me gone," Sandoval said.

"My big issue is that he's giving up the independence and the sanctity of the (president's) office," he said.

Sandoval said being fired would not deter his effort to get council reduction approved by voters Dec. 15.

"They've freed me up to spend 110 percent of my time on it now," he said.

Shirley also confirmed that the truck being loaded outside the president's office Wednesday was there at his direction. He said he was taking out personal items, mostly awards from his 41 years in politics.

"My office is being changed, they've shown that they are going to be using it," Shirley said. "In that case - if other people are going to be around - I don't want (personal effects) there."

However, this is should not be taken as a sign, he added.

"That's not to say that I'm moving out," Shirley said. "I'm just keeping it safe."

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