Complaint seeks $34K from former Navajo Nation legal counsel
(Coconino County Detention Facility | The Associated Press) This undated booking photo provided by Coconino County Detention Facility shows Karis Begaye. Begaye, the chief legal counsel to the Navajo Nation president, has been placed on administrative leave, weeks after she was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Navajo President Russell Begaye made the announcement Tuesday, May 8, 2018, that the legal counsel, Karis Begaye, is his daughter.
Window Rock, Ariz. • Investigators with the Navajo Nation are seeking more than $34,000 from the tribe’s former legal counsel after she crashed a tribal vehicle and was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.
The Gallup Independent reports that investigators have filed a complaint with the Navajo Nation Office of Hearings and Appeals. The complaint was made public Friday.
Karis Begaye, the daughter of Navajo President Russell Begaye, resigned last month.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety arrested her April 22 after a crash south of Flagstaff. Police records show she had a blood-alcohol content of more than double the legal limit for driving.
No formal charges have been filed, but tribal investigators are seeking an administrative hearing. The damages cited in their complaint include the cost of the wrecked SUV, towing charges and other expenses.
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