AP: Audits Show Indian Tribes Mishandle Millions in Fed Funds, Suffer Few Consequences

‘Other members plundered the tribal welfare fund, then gambled the money away at one of the tribe’s casinos’

AP IMPACT: Audits Show Indian Tribes Mishandle Millions in Fed Funds, Suffer Few Consequences (Star Tribune)

ETHETE, Wyo. — American Indian tribes have been caught misappropriating tens of millions of taxpayer dollars, according to internal tribal audits and other documents. But federal authorities do little about it — due to a lack of oversight, resources or political will.

The result? Poor tribes like the Northern Arapaho of Wyoming suffer.

One Arapaho manager pocketed money meant to buy meals for tribal elders. Another used funds from the reservation's diabetes program to subsidize personal shopping trips. And other members plundered the tribal welfare fund, then gambled the money away at one of the tribe's casinos.

Altogether, employees drained at least a half-million dollars from the coffers of a tribe whose members have a median household income of about $16,000 a year.

Video files
Full
Compact
Audio files
Full
Compact