PUBLIC STATEMENT

MEL R. BEGAY

JULY 23, 2015

I am dismayed, and yet again disappointed that after its first two unfounded attempts against me

were dismissed for lack of evidence and when its third case against me appeared to be heading the

same direction, the Navajo Nation Special Prosecutor this week has brought the same unfounded

case against me for the fourth time.

On October 20, 2010, the Special Prosecutor filed a criminal complaint against me in the Navajo

Nation District Court alleging that I had engaged in theft, conspiracy, fraud and forgery. On July

28, 2011, the Special Prosecutor filed a breach of fiduciary duty civil complaint against me and

several other Council Delegates.

Both these cases were dismissed for insufficient evidence to prove the elements for the crimes and

breach alleged. My vindication at that time should have been the end of this.

After waiting for several years, the Special Prosecutor brought a third set of cases against me based

upon the same allegations which had already been dismissed twice for lack of evidence. The

Special Prosecutor had no new evidence to support this third attempt. The Special Prosecutor then

threatened that if I did not plead guilty to its unsupported charges, it would investigate my wife

and children. I have been vigorously defending that case, and expected to prevail.

Now this week, the Special Prosecutor has repackaged the same baseless claims into a fourth set

of complaints, now going back even farther into the past. It is ironic that each time the Special

Prosecutor, a private law firm which charges the Navajo Nation by the hour, makes the decision

to refile these unsupported claims that I had a financial conflict of interest, the Special Prosecutor

in effect writes for itself a very large check to be paid for by the Navajo Nation. Now for the

fourth time, the Special Prosecutor has decided to write itself such a check. I believe it is the

Special Prosecutors conflict of interest, not the unsupported, repeatedly dismissed allegations that

I had a conflict of interest, which is driving this matter now. I do not believe that providing this

seemingly perpetual high-paying job for the special prosecutor was what was intended in our laws

and do not believe it is just.

I intend to defend myself to the fullest extent of the law against these unwarranted charges. I am

confident that the Navajo Nation judiciary will uphold the law and Din Bi Beenahazanii and I

expect to be fully vindicated of these old allegations.