Navajo Nation Leadership in Turmoil: President and Vice President Face Ethics Charges, Calls for Removal

Window Rock, Ariz. — November 24, 2025  In a dramatic escalation of internal strife within the Navajo Nation's executive branch, President Buu Nygren and Vice President Richelle Montoya are confronting serious ethics allegations that could lead to their ouster from office. A special prosecutor has filed a sweeping complaint accusing Nygren of misusing public funds and resources for personal gain, while Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley has introduced legislation seeking the immediate removal of both leaders amid mounting pressure from tribal members demanding accountability.

The ethics complaint, lodged in Navajo Nation District Court on November 21, 2025, by Special Prosecutor Kyle T. Nayback, outlines four counts of violations under the Navajo Nation Ethics in Government Law, spanning from January 2023 to May 2025. Nygren is alleged to have exploited his official travel purchase card to cover lodging and meals for family members during business trips—a clear breach of policy restricting such cards to the cardholder alone. Prosecutors claim he instructed staff to tamper with receipts using white-out to swap family names for those of employees, actions that Nayback describes as solicitation to commit a crime, tampering with public records, and conversion of public property.

Further accusations paint a picture of blurred lines between official duties and personal errands. Nygren is said to have directed government staff to handle childcare for his child, pay his personal bills, and perform household chores like cooking and cleaning at his residence—violations of Title 2, Section 3752(C), which bars the use of public employees for non-official tasks. The complaint also spotlights nepotism: In 2023, Nygren reportedly hired his father-in-law, John Blackwater Jr., to a high-level at-will position despite warnings from staff that the move contravened anti-nepotism rules under Title 2, Section 3755, prohibiting relatives within the third degree of affinity from such roles without oversight. Ignoring advice to route supervision through his chief of staff, Nygren allegedly placed Blackwater directly under him and ordered falsification of the relative's qualifications, constituting unsworn falsification and further solicitation charges.

These actions, Nayback argues, not only erode public trust but also create the appearance of using the presidency for private benefit, preferential treatment, and inefficiency in government operations, breaching broader standards of conduct in Title 2, Sections 3744 and 3745(B). The prosecutor is seeking Nygren's swift removal from office, a five-year ban from holding public positions, a public reprimand, forfeiture of pay and benefits for up to a year, and full restitution for any unauthorized expenditures.Vice President Montoya, elected alongside Nygren in 2022, finds herself entangled in the fallout for her alleged inaction. Curley's resolution accuses her of malfeasance by failing to report Nygren's purported misconduct, despite publicly acknowledging issues and swearing an oath to uphold tribal laws. "Because the president and vice president are elected together, both share responsibility for upholding public trust," the legislation states, emphasizing Montoya's duty to intervene.

The council's move, introduced on November 21, comes on the heels of the prosecutor's filing and amplifies a broader ethics probe that includes Nygren's alleged unlawful attempts to terminate the Nation's Controller, Sean McCabe; failure to deliver the annual State of the Navajo Nation address; improper appointments of division directors and legal staff; misuse of executive authority over tribal enterprises, including $25 million in contracts lacking due diligence; and leveraging the tribal treasury for personal loans to himself, family, and staff.

Speaker Curley framed the legislation as a fulfillment of the council's oversight role, echoing calls from chapters, agency councils, and "countless Diné community members" for leaders to embody "balance, truth, and the highest ethical standards." If approved by a two-thirds majority of the 25th Navajo Nation Council following a mandatory five-day public comment period, the resolution could trigger the same penalties as the ethics case: removal, disqualification, compensation forfeiture, reprimands, and restitution.

Nygren, who has not yet been formally served with the complaint, fired back forcefully on Saturday, branding the proceedings "disgraceful and politically driven." In a statement, he defended his record, accusing Curley of a power grab to "seize the presidency" and vowing to fight the allegations in court. The president's office highlighted recent achievements in infrastructure and economic development, suggesting the timing aligns with internal rivalries rather than genuine misconduct.

This latest chapter unfolds against a backdrop of reconciliation just months ago. In July 2025, Nygren and Montoya publicly mended a year-long rift that had paralyzed executive functions, announcing joint efforts to refocus on tribal priorities. Yet, simmering tensions with the council—exacerbated by earlier disputes over the controller's ouster—have boiled over, raising questions about governance stability in the nation's largest reservation.

As public comments pour in via email and mail to the Office of Legislative Services, tribal observers warn that the outcome could reshape Navajo leadership for years. "The Diné deserve transparency and integrity," Curley said. "This is about protecting our laws and our people." For Nygren and Montoya, the stakes couldn't be higher: a legacy on the line, or an abrupt end to their term.

Ethnicity of Navajo Nation Leaders: Buu Nygren and Richelle Montoya

Buu Nygren, the current President of the Navajo Nation, has a mixed ethnic background that reflects both Indigenous and Southeast Asian heritage. He is half Navajo (Diné) through his mother, who is a member of the Táchiiʼnii (Red Running into Water) clan, and half Vietnamese through his father, of South Vietnamese descent.

Nygren was born in Blanding, Utah, and raised primarily by his Navajo mother in a single-parent household, which has deeply influenced his cultural identity and political focus on Navajo issues like water rights and economic development.

Richelle Montoya, the Vice President, is of full Navajo (Diné) descent, embodying the matrilineal traditions central to Navajo society. She belongs to the Hashtł'ishnii (Mud Clan) and is born for the Ta'neeszahnii (Tangle Clan), with her maternal grandfather from the Kinłichii'nii (Red House Clan) and her paternal grandfather from the Táchii'nii (Red Running into Water Clan).

Born and raised in Torreon, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation reservation, Montoya's heritage underscores her advocacy for community-led governance and women's leadership, as highlighted in her historic role as the first woman elected to the executive office.

These ethnic ties not only shape their personal identities but also inform their leadership in addressing Navajo-specific challenges, from cultural preservation to federal negotiations.

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