Tribal council expels vice chairman

The Colville Business Council announced Thursday that it had expelled from the CBC its vice chairman, the elected representative of the Keller District, for “using his position to obtain financial gain or something of substantial value …”

A public notice dated April 13 said the council, the governing body of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, had earlier held an evidentiary hearing in allegations of unethical conduct, which resulted in a “findings of fact.”

The notice said that Ferguson had “appeared before a department or program of tribal government for compensation that was contingent upon action by that department or program.

That violated the CBC’s “Code of Professional Responsibility, the notice said. He had also thereby committed “neglect of duty or gross misconduct,” the council ruled.

Expulsion was among the recommendations for sanction against Ferguson, whose “serious offense or repeated offense … indicated that he “was unable to responsibly fulfill his duties sto the Tribes or to protect the public trust.”

No fine was recommended.

The other 13 members of the council took part in the vote, which was 12-1 to accept the findings of fact and the recommendation for expulsion, effective immediately.