The Unification Council elected two weeks ago by the Chukchansi tribe of California has been granted intervention by a federal judge in the lawsuit filed by a faction of the tribe led by Morris Reid that claimed to be the legitimate ruling authority.
Federal judge Richard Seeborg ordered the lawsuit dismissed. This leaves the unification council’s legal authority unchallenged in the courts.
Co-Chairman Nancy Ayala called the decision, “another important victory for our tribe in defeating those individuals who put their personal agenda before the sake of the Tribe and its members.” She and co-chairman Reggie Lewis have called for tribal members to put aside their differences and work together to reopen the casino and put 1,300 casino employees back to work.
Although a unification council was elected, a video posted on YouTube of the general council meeting shows yelling, members getting physical with each other.
About 900 members of the tribe attended the meeting. One of the winners of the election of the interim council, Reggie Lewis, said that the rowdy nature of the meeting wasn’t significant. “We are no different from anybody else, there’s always going to be friction. You get 900 people together you think everybody’s going to think the same? I beg to differ,” he told a reporter for Action News.
Lewis’s next goal is to get recognition of the unification council by the federal government so that the casino can be reopened. He told the interviewer, “As far as I know the timeline hasn’t been decided on, but I know for sure it’s not going to be quick, even if they get the word to open up pretty soon within a month or two it will be several months probably after that at best, and that’s the best-case scenario.”
Many of the slot machines were leased and have been removed since the casino closed. The casino will have to get permission from both the National Indian Gaming Commission and a federal judge to reopen.
The NIGC and the federal judge ordered the casino to close following an incident where a member of one of the feuding factions, Tex McDonald, led an armed incursion into the casino to seize financial documents form the tribal gaming commission.
McDonald is still in jail awaiting trial for the raid and some of his followers challenge the legitimacy of the election of the unification council, despite the fact that 75 percent of those at the election voted for it. The Morris Reid faction also challenges the election’s validity.
