A former Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians official and cannabis board member accused of soliciting favors from a contractor that was negotiating a contract with the tribe’s cannabis enterprise will pay a fine and face a ban on future appointments to tribal positions, Tribal Council decided in a vote Thursday, Jan. 4.
Only two members of the 12-member council declined to vote in favor of the resolution, and they did so because they felt the penalty wasn’t strong enough.
“I want to abstain from this vote,” said Painttown Rep. Dike Sneed. “I don’t want to take part in setting precedents for somebody committing this crime and such a small fine. It’s a smack on the wrist for what was done, so I don’t want any part of it.”
The resolution formally accepts and adopts the Office of Internal Audit and Ethics investigation containing the allegations against Jeremy Wilson, who during the timeframe in question was appointed as the tribe’s governmental affairs liaison and sat on the board for Cherokee Medical LLC, which is now known as Qualla Enterprises LLC.
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