Internal audit warns of leadership override, rising risks to Navajo ARPA dollars
WINDOW ROCK
A confidential audit memorandum delivered to the Navajo Nation Council and the Office of Ethics and Rules on Nov. 18 has become a pivotal warning about the government’s long-standing structural weaknesses that now threaten the Nation’s ability to manage the last of its American Rescue Plan Act dollars before time runs out.
The memo, titled “Fiscal Year 2024 Audit Issue,” outlines a compliance concern that surfaced after an anonymous tip alleging that President Buu Nygren directed the Navajo Engineering Construction Authority to repair the roof of a Crystal, New Mexico, resident. The work was initially billed to an ARPA-funded bathroom renovation contract, despite the individual not qualifying under the subrecipient agreement requirements.
To read the full article, please see the Nov. 20, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.
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