Slush funds total over $35 million

(Times graphic)

Social assistance fund appropriations, according to the OMB, totalled more than $35 million to the president's office and tribal council since 2004. Source: OMB.

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More than $35 million has been poured into the discretionary funds of the Navajo Nation Council, speaker's office and president's office from 2005 to 2009.

According to financial records from the Navajo Nation's Office of Management and Budget, the exact amount is $35,811,495.

The Navajo Times obtained some of the financial records of the discretionary funds through an anonymous source.

For the past three years, the Navajo Times has repeatedly asked President Joe Shirley Jr. and Speaker Lawrence Morgan (Iyanbito/Pinedale) for information about their discretionary funds.

A few months ago, Morgan handed over policies and procedures for the delegates and himself as speaker.

He pointed out that he could not share any additional documents because it would violate the privacy rights of those individuals receiving financial assistance.

It took Shirley a few more weeks before his office gave the Navajo Times two sheets of paper - a one-page application and an Internal Revenue Service taxpayer identification number and certification form.

Chief of Staff Patrick Sandoval said that the executive office has no policies and procedures.

Sandoval also used the same reason as Morgan for not sharing additional documents.

And so this year, the Navajo Times decided to ask OMB director Dominic Beyal for the same information.

Beyal was quite willing to share documents with the Navajo Times but his records were limited to the number of times and the amounts that the council replenished the discretionary funds for themselves, the speaker and the president.

He did not have access to the disbursements of the discretionary fund, which were in the management information system and under Controller Mark Grant.

Grant said on Monday and Oct. 4 that he would contact the Navajo Times but at print time on Wednesday, the Navajo Times had not heard from him.

Beyal began preparing the documents for the Navajo Times when the Arizona Press Club notified Shirley, Morgan and the council that they were the co-recipients of the Brick Wall/Arpaio First Amendment Disservice Award.

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In notifying Shirley and Morgan about their prize, which the Navajo Times nominated them for, APC board member Laura Clymer explained, "This award is given annually to the public servant and/or government agency who egregious efforts to thwart the public's right to know must be brought to light."

That was on May 17, 2009.

A few weeks later, Beyal informed the Navajo Times that his discretionary fund report had been submitted to Shirley and that the Navajo Times had to ask Shirley for it.

Shirley heads the executive branch, which is where OMB is located.

According to the Oct. 19, 2009, summary of the "social assistance fund appropriations," which is what OMB calls the discretionary fund, the council replenished the fund for the speaker and themselves 23 times from 2004 to 2009 for a grand total of more than $35 million.

The council refilled the president's fund 19 times for a grand total of about $1.6 million.

The Navajo Times obtained a very limited amount of discretionary records for the speaker and council through an anonymous source, which only accounted for $104,455 of the $35 million.

In 2004, the speaker/council received a total of $977,395. The president received $107,040.

In 2005, the amounts for the speaker/council and president increased with the speaker/council receiving more than $1.4 million and the president receiving $156,037.

In 2006, there was another increase. The speaker/council received more than $4 million and the president got an even $232,000.

In 2007, the discretionary fund for the speaker/council jumped to $9.6 million, a $5.6 million increase. The president's also received a substantial increase of $128,000, which brought his share to $360,000.

In 2008, the amount for the speaker/council almost doubled. They gave themselves more than $11 million but cut the president's share by $10,000, which left him with $350,000.

In 2009, there was a reversal. The amount for the speaker/council dropped to about $8.2 million and the president's rose to $360,000.

And to be fair, the amounts for the speaker/council should be divided by the 110 chapters, or 88 delegates.

If the amounts are divided by 88 that means that in 2004 each delegate received more than $11,107 compared to the president's $107,040.

In 2005, each delegate received about $16,269 compared to the president's $156,037.

In 2006, the amount for each delegate was $46,177 compared to the president's $232,000.

In 2007, each delegate received about $109,489 compared to the president's $360,000.

In 2008, about $125,057 was provided for each delegate and the president received $350,000.

And in 2009, the delegate's share was $92,821. The president's share was $360,000.

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