Osage Nation newspaper sues chief for open records request

Wednesday, July 3, 2013  

The Osage News is suing Osage Nation Chief John Red Eagle for failing to comply with the tribe's Open Records Act.

The newspaper requested a copy of an energy related contract on January 31. Under the Open Record Act, the chief should have provided the document within 10 business days.

Red Eagle did not meet the deadline nor did he ask for more time or explain why he couldn't fulfill the requests. He also failed to respond within 35 days, prompting the newspaper to go to tribal court.

The contract was eventually provided to the paper last week, with an acknowledgment of the untimely responses. But the paper will continue to pursue the lawsuit in hopes of holding Red Eagle accountable for violating the law.

Get the Story:
Osage News moving forward with suit (The Osage News 7/1)
Osage News moves ahead with lawsuit against Chief (The Native American Times 7/2)