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Wednesday, October 8, 2003

"Bob Blankenship, a long-time Cherokee tribal council member and leader in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, narrowly escaped impeachment by his fellow tribal council members last week. That means he will keep his seat in tribal government for another four years.

New council members and Chief Michell Hicks and Vice Chief Larry Blythe were sworn in on Oct. 6, a ceremony that capped a week of hearings and trials to determine the outcome of the September election.

The vote last week to impeach Blankenship was 7-4, but a two-thirds majority is required to uphold the impeachment. Council members who voted to impeach Blankenship claim he conspired with Chief Leon Jones to use the tribe�s sacred enrollment roster for personal gain, namely by sending out an anonymous political mailing in April inciting members living off the reservation to register to vote."

Get the Story:
Hearings reveal divisions within tribe (The Smoky Mountain News 10/7)

Relevant Links:
Eastern Band of Cherokees - http://www.cherokee-nc.com

Related Stories:
Eastern Cherokee leaders survive challenge (10/7)
Eastern Cherokee court to rule on voting cases (10/03)
Eastern Cherokees confront absentee voting (9/30)
Cherokee official facing impeachment removed (09/24)
Absentee votes determined Cherokee election (09/15)
Eastern Cherokee official retains seat on council (09/05)
Race, money at center of Cherokee impeachment (08/18)
Editorial: Impeachment will serve no one (08/18)
Cherokee impeachment to begin next month (8/12)
Eastern Cherokee chief facing impeachment hearing (8/8)
Eastern Cherokee chief ousted in primary (06/06)
Eastern Cherokee mailing stirs election probe (05/20)
Eastern Cherokee Tribe to hold primary election (05/19)

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