Apache Political Feud Fuels Dissension in San Carlos, Ariz. Story-Date: 01:15 p.m. PST Sunday , December 28, 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------ Apache Political Feud Fuels Dissension in San Carlos, Ariz. By Karen Testerman, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News SAN CARLOS, Ariz.--Dec. 29--Political power plays are drawing fire from tribal officials. Several San Carlos Apache political feuds escalated after tribal leaders filed charges against one another in tribal court alleging embezzlement, disorderly conduct, theft, and assault and battery. The FBI is investigating the tribal government and its operations because of these allegations. In addition, the BIA and Department of Interior have set guidelines for the Apache tribe regarding its 638 contracts and if guidelines are violated, the tribal government could lose authority over its affairs. The tribe has had to pull funds from other programs to meet its tribal employee payroll obligations. "The tribe is literally broke. Where has the money gone? These are our questions to the tribal government," tribal member Charles Vargas said. "The tribal government is in chaos. Council meetings turn into shouting matches. It's terrible. If the tribal government can't do the job, we're going to be controlled by the BIA. This would be detrimental to the San Carlos Apache Tribe." Several key factors prompted the political feud: Tribal Chairman Raymond Stanley publicly announced that the council was hiding public information from its members; the tribal council and tribal vice chairman Marvin Mull, Jr., accused Mr. Stanley of misinforming the public. The feud continues through press release charging one another of wrong doings. A Dec. 4, press release fromMr. Mull's office reported Mr. Stanley was charged in tribal court for disorderly conduct, and assault and battery by administrative office staff member Janice Johnson, who alleges Mr. Stanley sexually accosted her in his office Aug. 5, 1996. She filed the complaint on Nov. 26, 1997. It also reported Mr. Mull's concerns that this type of conduct should not be tolerated by the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and that he will propose to the tribal council that the chairman be investigated by the tribe so that a sexually hostile environment does not continue in the offices of the tribal administration. A Dec. 5, press release from Mr. Stanley's office reported Mr. Mull was also charged in tribal court with 29 counts of theft and embezzlement of funds from the Tribal Relending Program that Mr. Mull is chairman of. Mr. Mull's tribal Relending Program is the focus of an ongoing investigation by the FBI. Officials say it could take up to 3 or 4 years before they will be able to determine if the programs funds were mismanaged. Mr. Mull said his program was audited by the IRS, and he said it did not find any mismanagement of funds. "All the documents will prove that I've done nothing wrong," said Mr. Mull. "I've never taken a cent from the program.Mr. Stanley is accusing me of lending money to my relatives. I excused myself from loan requests when it involved my relatives." Mr. Stanley's office released reports of his denial to the charges, and questions Ms. Johnson and Mr. Mull. "I deny these charges filed against me. Why were these charges filed by Ms. Johnson right after I filed the 29 counts of theft and embezzlement charges against the vice chairman totaling $780,000?" Mr. Stanley said in yet another press release. "She claims I assaulted her two years ago; why did she press charges now? And to top it off, the press release came out of the vice chairman's office. "How can the vice chairman say there is a sexual hostile environment in the tribal administration? "I can't just sit back and allow the vice chairman or any member of the tribal council to discredit me," Mr. Stanley said. "The allegations made against me are outright lies." Tribal member Gibson Boni Jr., said he attended court on Dec. 16 to hear for himself the charges against Mr. Stanley. "There's been a lot of talk about Chairman Stanley. I went to the hearing. Not once did the court mention anything about `sexual Harassment' against the chairman. We keep hearing that he was charged with sexual harassment. It was said on the radio, KJAA Apache radio, the Arizona Republican printed it, and it was on the front page of the Moccasin," said Mr. Boni. "I want to make it clear, Chairman Stanley was not charged with sexual assault. I feel it's a set-up by the vice chairman and the council. They don't like it because the chairman lets the people know what's happening. Chairman Stanley has been doing his job. He's been accountable to the tribal members." Mr. Stanley has plead not guilty to the charges, a court date is pending. Ironically, the tribal court found Mr. Stanley's personal Community Press Liaison Sandra Rambler, guilty of embezzlement, sentencing her to 10 days in jail, and a fine of $20 dollars. "Chairman Stanley would sign blank checks to be used by tribal wranglers," said Mr. Mull. "Sandra was taking them and cashing them for her own personal use." Ms. Rambler, who's been fired by the council eight times and rehired each time by Mr.Stanley, filed an appeal alleging certain improprieties in the case against her. "I wasn't even there at court, and I was still charged as guilty. This case was brought forward by the vice chairman, after it had already been resolved with the Cattle Association," Ms. Rambler said. "I don't understand why the vice chairman is coming after me. It's all a political conspiracy to make Chairman Stanley look bad. All the allegations against Chairman Stanley are false. He's being attacked for bringing out the truth about the tribal council." "I'll fight to the end. The more action they take against me, the more I'll stand up against the injustices. Why all the fuss, I'm just a tribal member trying to support my family. I'm a full-blooded San Carlos Apache. I have a right to due process. The council keeps firing me; I think it's because they're afraid of my journalistic abilities. They're afraid of being exposed. I believe in the First Amendment. I will continue to provide information the tribal members of San Carlos." Ms. Rambler said the tribal council has reclassified her position from a permanent tribal employee to a political appointee, which she says the council thinks gives them the right to terminate her from her position. "It's a big conspiracy. We invite the U.S. government to come in and do an investigation. Everything that is happening to Chairman Stanley and myself is politically motivated." She also said the tribal legal system is politically controlled by the tribal council. "Vice Chairman Mull has threatened the tribal treasurer, the personnel director, and the tribal comptroller that they will be fired if I received my payroll check," Ms. Rambler said. "There are a lot of things happening here. We are being subjected to this treatment because the council wants to protect their own interests." Mr. Mull says this is all Mr. Stanley's fault, and because of all the accusations, the tribe is suffering. "Chairman Stanley has brought hardship to his people. The relending program has been shut down. There's no place for the tribal members to turn to for help. It's sad, because they depended on the Relending Program, especially during the holidays," said Mr. Mull. "He's hurting the people." ----- Visit Indian Country Today on the World Wide Web at http://www.indiancountry.com/ ----- (c) 1997, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. ------------------------------------------------------------