The Tribal Council of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, recently found Principal Chief George Wickliffe guilty of violating the tribe’s constitution and voted 8-3 to impeach him and bar him for life from holding an elected or appointed position within the tribe after finding him guilty of violating the tribe’s constitution. Over the cheers of attendees, Assistant Chief Joe Bunch told Wickliffe, “Turn in your keys, walkie-talkie, radio and anything else you have.”
During the hearing, Wickliffe tried to have a television crew removed, claiming they acted improperly by moving a microphone closer to him. After the session he was escorted out by Lighthorse officers, the tribal police of the Chickasaw Nation. Wickliffe has until May 31 to file an appeal with the tribe’s judiciary.
Wickliffe was elected to his third four-year term in November 2012. He claimed he was not responsible for tribe’s financial difficulties since its Keetoowah Cherokee Casino closed in 2013. “I don’t owe the tribe anything. Neither does the council,” he said to the jeering audience.
Tribal Treasurer Ella Mae Worley filed three articles of impeachment against Wickliffe in early May. Worley was elected treasurer in 2009 and did not have access to any of the tribe’s financial records until January 2015. Shelbi Wofford served as the tribe’s treasurer from 2005 to 2009. Wickliffe was accused of violating the UKB’s constitution by prohibiting both Worley and Wofford from having full access to the financial records of both the tribe and its closed casino. Only Wickliffe and his personal secretary were listed as the signatories on the casino’s bank account; the tribe’s comptroller was the only signatory on the accounts for the UKB’s loan companies.
Among numerous allegations, the articles of impeachment accuse Wickliffe of signing off on multiple contracts without council approval and making unauthorized disbursements and cash advances of $400,000 out of the tribe’s general fund to select council members to influence their votes. He also gave himself $5,000 in scholarship funds after the tribe cut back on its higher education program. He also allegedly used the tribe’s credit card to pay both personal bills and some of his son’s, to retrieve at least three guns from a local pawn shop, buy appliances for relatives and purchase new tires for three council members.
Under the tribe’s constitution, at least two-thirds of the council had to vote for conviction on at least one count in order to remove Wickliffe from office.
