Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren tried firing the tribe’s controller last week — a move later deemed unlawful by the Navajo Nation Council. It’s the latest skirmish in a prolonged battle between tribal leadership over executive spending.
Now an injunction has been filed.
“We are the largest Indigenous tribe on the planet, and this is happening,” Navajo Controller Sean McCabe warned council members. “You don’t see this at a lemonade stand on the side of the road. President Buu Nygren, this is unacceptable. I hope you’re listening — I hope your people are listening.”
McCabe told members from the council’s Budget and Finance Committee on Wednesday that his staff are so scared working under Interim Controller Alva Tom, he’s letting them walk out on their jobs.
They’re supposed to serve as checks and balances on finances.
“And what I believe is happening is dangerous,” added McCabe. “It’s dangerous to the Navajo people. It’s dangerous to the Navajo people’s money.”
Within hours, Nygren named not one but two different interim replacements — settling on Tom as his newly tapped appointee — but council claims his actions to oust McCabe are illegal.
“I sat with [Nygren] one-on-one on many occasions and told him, ‘Be reasonable. Be reasonable. Be a leader,’” said McCabe. “This is not leadership, this is bullying tactics. What he tried to do to me, why? I’m not gonna speculate why he tried to fire me. I’m not going to accuse him of anything.”
The budget for Nygren’s office — now sitting at $5.5 million — has grown by over two-thirds since his predecessor, Jonathan Nez, held office. Nygren was sworn in as president back in January 2023; he’s up for re-election next year.
The council also directed Acting Attorney General Colin Bradley on Thursday to give a legal opinion on who is the lawful controller — Tom or McCabe — by no later than noon Friday. Bradley replied, but his answer is reportedly confidential under attorney-client privilege — at least for now.
That same day, Speaker Crystalyne Curley filed for an injunction, asking the Navajo Nation Court to “prevent further harm” stemming from Nygren's efforts to remove McCabe by granting a temporary restraining order.
A separate filing seeks to “stop the improper use of line-item veto” and to “prohibit any actions taken under the authority of the ‘interim’ controller unless approved by the lawful controller.”
“We do need accountability, and that’s why we are now turning to the courts to help us make that decision, that it’s gone too far,” said Curley during a social media video moments after submitting the pair of petitions in Window Rock. “We have to make sure that all of our employees are safe and that no one is above the law.”
Driving a wedge further between the legislative and executive branches, Nygren has also come under fire for defunding the 4 Corners K-9 Search and Rescue (4CK9SAR) that’s been aiding families in finding lost loved-ones on tribal lands across the Southwest, especially the Navajo Nation.
For the first-time ever, council approved $250,000 for the Farmington-based nonprofit since its founding in 2022 as part of this fiscal year’s budget, which was signed by Nygren in September. Less than a month later, Nygren redirected $229,000 of the group’s dollars to cover his travel and operating expenses.
In a statement, Nygren asserts “this statement is false and includes misinformation on the serious matter,” adding “it’s time to stop playing games, stop spreading lies, and stop trying to create division.”
But Nygren later explained that only $20,000 will be disbursed to 4CK9SAR in “the first tranche of funding” — while the rest of the nonprofit’s earmarked money “needs to be directed to keep the highest executive office of the Navajo Nation functioning,” citing fuel and vehicle costs for his fleet.
The Office of the Controller, run by McCabe just prior to his firing, had aired concern that transferring those funds from its original purpose to support 4CK9SAR may require approval from the Budget and Finance Committee.
“We will do everything within our authority to ensure that these funds are directed to the intended purpose and not the president’s travel,” said Budget and Finance Committee Chair Shaandiin Parrish in a statement. “Our people deserve leadership that puts their safety first, not travel funds for themselves.”
This story was produced by KJZZ, the public radio station in Phoenix, and published by KNAU as part of the Arizona Public Media Exchange.
