Navajo election office removes Begay from tribal council

Posted by Bill Donovan | Apr 21, 2016 | Politics |

WINDOW ROCK

Navajo Times | Donovan Quintero
Navajo Nation Council Delegate Tom Chee sits behind where his former colleague, Mel Begay, used to sit, before the start of the 23rd Navajo Nation Council Spring Session on Wednesday.

Mel R. Begay is no longer a member of the Navajo Nation Council.

Begay, who has been on the council since 2003 and represented Coyote Canyon, Mexican Springs, Naschitti and Bahastl’a’a’, had his name removed Monday off of his desk at the tribal council as well as on the monitor that shows how council delegates voted on a resolution.

His removal came swiftly after officials for the Navajo Election Administration received documentation from the Window Rock District Court that Begay had been convicted by a six-member jury of submitting fraudulent vouchers in connection with the discretionary fund investigation.

Begay was found guilty of providing $33,000 from the fund to his children despite rules that prohibited delegates from contributing to family members.

Edison Wauneka. director of the Navajo Election Administration, said the matter did not go before the Navajo Board of Election Supervisors because tribal law gives the election office the authority to remove someone who no longer meets the requirements to hold office.

Navajo Times | Donovan Quintero
A TV monitor showing where each of the Navajo Nation Council Delegates shows a white blank rectangle, bottom right of monitor, where Mel Begay’s name used to be displayed.

The election office issued a letter to Begay on Friday notifying him that he had been removed from office.

“I went to the agency meeting in Houck expecting he would be there so I could hand deliver the letter myself,” said Wauneka.

But Begay didn’t show up so the election office on Monday sent a certified letter to his official address.

“I also called him up and he called me back and he asked that the letter be e-mailed to his house, which I did,” Wauneka said, adding that Begay then came by the election office Monday afternoon and signed papers.