In a 48 to 40 vote with 12 abstentions, the Tribal Council of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians recently approved Resolution Number 330 calling for the removal of Jim Owle as chairperson of the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise.
Those who voted to remove Owle said he had violated several elements of the Cherokee Code. These included a tribal member not receiving emails he had requested; the board resubmitting redacted minutes that removed important business matters; and the board submitting, “without any explanation or back-up” a loan in excess of the agreed-upon $250,000 million.
In opposition to the resolution, Rep. Perry Shell said, “I don’t think that we can say definitively and without question that we’re breaking the code when we vote today. I think that this could end up in court. There’s an investigation that I understand is still ongoing that we paid $200,000 for. I think we’re jumping the gun by even having this.”
The resolution now goes to Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed for ratification.
