The former and current treasurers of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts have been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury. Why is the big question.
The Cape Cod Times reported that the orders were issued for Treasurer Gordon Harris and the man who succeeded him, Robert Hendricks. As is the custom of the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. Attorney Office in the District of Massachusetts would not comment on the report.
The subpoenas are the latest in the series of blows to the tribe, which is still reeling from a Department of Interior’s ruling that reverses its 2016 decision to put 151 acres in Taunton into trust for a $1 billion casino. The project was to have been bankrolled by Genting Malaysia, the world’s largest casino developer.
Genting advanced the tribe hundreds of millions of dollars as it moved forward on the project, only to see it come to a halt after opponents challenged the BIA’s move and won in federal court. As a result, the tribe is about $500 million in debt, has laid off most of its employees, and ceased many services to members.
Today, the tribe is resting its hopes on a bill in Congress that would put that land into trust. The bill has passed the House and faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
Meanwhile Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell, Vice-Chairman Jessie “Little Doe” Baird and Harris have been targeted by a recall attempt that forced an election on September 15. Proponents claim they don’t know how the tribe accumulated so much debt. A robocall to tribal members declared, “To date, we as tribal members do not know how this money is spent. Only Chairman Cromwell and Treasurer Gordon Harris have knowledge and access to how our $250 million has been spent.”
The recall petition claims that Cromwell has been paid more than $1 million since taking office 10 years ago with “very little to show for it; no casino, no jobs,” and mortgaged property in Taunton. Earlier this year, Cromwell was briefly removed from financial responsibilities because the news surfaced that he owed $36,901 in federal taxes.
The tribal council has voted to hire attorneys for Harris and Hendricks. Neither have relied to requests for comments from the press.
