The Navajo Nation Council is considering a motion to remove the tribe's president, Buu Nygren, and Vice President Richelle Montoya after a special prosecutor filed an ethics complaint accusing Nygren of misusing government funds. Action could've been taken as early as Thursday – until a judge in Window Rock stepped in.
Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley sponsored the bill to oust the pair.
Nygren has accused Curley of seeking his removal so she can take his place, calling it "disgraceful" that she's "aligned herself with those who spearheaded the failed recall effort against me."
Curley denies his claims, telling KJZZ "all I can say, this is not a political move on my part" and that she cannot ignore the "public outcry" in response to Special Prosecutor Kyle Nayback's eight-page filing.
"This is a necessary step to protect our Nation's financial stability. We're talking about protecting the people's money," added Curley. "We hear the frustration. There's really no other way to address it."
Two-thirds of the 24-member council must approve her measure, and it's unclear whether Curley has enough votes. This legislative process began on Friday when she brought forth her resolution by releasing 465 pages detailing allegations, including invoices, confidential memos and reports, as well as attorney-client privileged communications.
By doing so, Curley hoped for a swift vote while acknowledging that her fellow delegates needed time to examine all of the evidence. A five-day comment period was scheduled to expire Thursday, clearing way for a roll call to advance the motion out of the Naabik'íyáti' Committee before the whole governing body.
"Given the complexity of the issue, the number of alleged violations and the volume of documents involved, I'm pretty sure that a vote before Thanksgiving is very unlikely," said Curley. "A more realistic timeline would be after the holiday. Many have expressed that they are still reviewing, so I'm just giving due respect to my colleagues."
That timeline suddenly changed Tuesday when a judge from the Window Rock District Court granted a request made by Nygren's attorneys a day prior to block the bill through a temporary restraining order pending a hearing on Dec. 8.
Citing the tribal court's opinion, Nygren wrote on social media this attempt to oust him and Montoya is "a possible illegal power grab," adding it could "obliterate the separation of powers … causing government instability" and pose "irreparable harm without adequate remedies at law."
The legislation as written "contains unproven allegations," the court also argued, according to Nygren, and delaying the legislative process was partly driven by the fact that Nygren and Montoya could've been voted out of office without immediate legal relief, since the government is closed in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
For now, Nygren – who became the youngest Navajo president when he was elected in 2022 at age 35 – has vowed to defend his name, stating "any attempt to unlawfully remove a President is not just a political maneuver, it is an attack on the will of the People and on the sanctity of our democratic system and our people's votes."
As for Vice President Montoya, she has been one of his loudest detractors and denies involvement with any of Nygren's alleged violations, noting "my service was tested, ridiculed and dismissed."
She previously accused him of sexual harassment and bullying, although an outside investigator hired by the Navajo Nation's attorney general determined the claims were "unwarranted."
Curley's resolution asserts that Montoya "failed to uphold" her oath of office, and contends this course of action by the council is "in the best interest of the Navajo Nation" by removing her in the same way as Nygren.
"I was intentionally sidelined, kept in the dark and unjustly stripped of my core duties, resources and budget," said Montoya in response to the council's resolution. "Let me be clear, I had no involvement in the decisions or actions associated with Buu Nygren. I am responsible and accountable for my own actions."
What's inside the 465-page resolution
As for Nygren's conduct, several invoices are documented as pieces of evidence pointing to examples of "malfeasance or misfeasance of office" and "breach of his fiduciary trust duties to the Navajo people" in the eyes of Curley – and grounds for dismissal.
More than two dozen transactions are listed, totaling nearly $150,000, mostly for personal reasons.
Some of them reveal cash advances made on Nygren's behalf by staff, which were billed through his own executive branch office. One receipt logged a $3,000 loan for travel expenses in Arizona stemming from an argument with his wife, Apache County Attorney Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren.
In the memo section, his then-Chief of Staff Patrick Sandoval typed out a brief explanation for that loan's purpose: "President needs your help! President is arguing with his wife and tired of her Sh-t! He wants to get away for the weekend."
Nygren, who previously worked as chief commercial officer for the tribally owned Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority, also used $3,000 in government funds to renovate his Apache County home in Red Mesa.
He also borrowed nearly $1,200 renting tables and chairs and a "unicorn set" for his daughter's birthday party.
Another $6,000 made payable to Sandoval went directly to cover car maintenance, including new tires and engine and transmission repairs. He also got a loan to gift Nygren an unspecified $1,500 birthday present.
Nygren also took out $1,000 to attend an Arizona state high school basketball tournament and billed an additional $3,000, labeling it as "spending money for out of state trip."
It's unclear, according to these receipts, whether anything has been paid back yet. When asked, Nygren's staff reiterated to KJZZ that the president would not comment on any specifics given the ongoing investigation.
In a statement on Saturday, Nygren posted on social media that the council's legislation and ethics complaint both "appear to be flawed in multiple ways, which I will address at a later date."
Copyright 2025 KJZZ News