National Indian Gaming Commission Chairman E. Sequoyah Simermeyer and the St. Croix Chippewa of Wisconsin recently settled a Civil Fine Assessment against the tribe for numerous violations regarding misuses of gaming revenue, as listed in the NIGC Notice of Violation NOV-19-02. The settlement agreement requires the tribe to admit to the violations listed in the NOV and to make sure the misuses of gaming revenue will not happen again. In exchange, Simermeyer agreed to reduce the fine of $5.5 million and suspend a portion of it as long as the tribe sticks to the terms of the agreement.
According to the Notice of Violation, issued April 11, 2019, the St. Croix Chippewa of Wisconsin Tribe was charged with 527 violations of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, NIGC Regulations and the tribe’s gaming ordinance. It noted a number of tribal officials misused $1.5 million in net gaming revenue, specifically then-Tribal Chairman Lewis Taylor and Gaming Commission Chairman Jeff Taylor.
Since the NOV was issued, however, the tribe elected a new tribal council, including a new chairman, who have pledged the tribal employees named in the NOV are no longer involved in gaming and have any control over gaming revenue. The tribe has also committed to numerous remedial measures, including annual independent revenue audits, no payments from the casino for tribal expenses, ethics training and more. Tribal officials also are seeking repayment of the misused money from the Taylors and other named individuals.
Simermeyer said, “The provisions agreed to in the settlement are positive and productive steps to improve the protections for the tribe. These provisions aim to remediate the circumstances that gave rise to the violations outlined in the NOV. The NIGC team’s diligence in this matter demonstrates the agency’s dedication to Indian Gaming Regulation Act’s mandates.”
