Attorney general appointment uncertain after Naabik’íyáti’ tables Beecher nomination
PAGE–LAKE POWELL
The Naabik’íyáti’ Committee voted Thursday to table Kris Beecher’s confirmation as attorney general, halting President Buu Nygren’s effort to secure a permanent top lawyer for the Navajo Nation. The move leaves the appointment without a timeline and adds uncertainty to the Department of Justice’s leadership.
The action came despite earlier support from the Law and Order Committee, which gave Legislation 0249-25 a 3-0-2 vote on Oct. 30 and recommended approval. The legislation, sponsored by Delegates Shawna Ann Claw and Lester C. Yazzie, followed Nygren’s Oct. 22 nomination to move Beecher from acting attorney general into the permanent role.
Delegate Vince James made the motion to table the legislation. Delegate Brenda Jesus seconded it. The Naabik’íyáti’ Committee voted 9-4, with Speaker Crystalyne Curley not voting. According to the committee report, the legislation was “tabled and referred to the Navajo Nation Council,” with no indication of when the Council will consider it.
Beecher has been serving as acting attorney general. His résumé shows he received a law degree and a Master of Business from Arizona State University in 2020 and joined the Nygren Administration in January 2024 as deputy chief of staff. Before returning to Navajo Nation government, he worked as an associate attorney at Dickinson Wright in Phoenix on matters involving tribal law and economic development.
Beecher previously served as chairman of the Navajo Housing Authority Board of Commissioners from 2017 to 2020. He also worked in Tuba City as a law clerk for the Office of the Chief Prosecutor and held internships at the Department of the Interior and the Arizona Legislature.
According to legislative records, the attorney general position requires confirmation by the Council under Title 2 of the Navajo Nation Code, Section 1962(B). The statute states that the attorney general serves at the pleasure of the Council, with a term that runs concurrent with the sitting president. Beecher is admitted to practice in the Navajo Nation Bar Association and the Arizona and New Mexico state bars, and he serves on the Arizona State Bar’s Indian Law Section Executive Council.
No public comments were submitted during the required five-day review period that ended Oct. 29, according to the Office of Legislative Services summary included in the legislative packet. The LOC report lists no recommended amendments and shows a do-pass vote before forwarding the legislation to the Naabik’íyáti’.
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