Some Cherokee Nation council members say Chief Chad Smith wasted tribal funds on advertisements that touted his administration's achievements.

The tribe spent around $46,000 to place three- to four-page ads in 11 newspapers in northeastern Oklahoma. Smith's photo and name appear repeatedly in the spread.

"Smith is mentioned by name, or shown in a photograph, three times on the first page of the ad alone. All the charts and statistics only cover the time that Smith has been Chief,” council members Chuck Hoskin Jr., Jodie Fishinghawk and Curtis Snell said in a letter, The Cherokee Phoenix reported.

Smith defended the ad buy, saying it was a useful way to inform tribal members throughout the region of the tribe's activities. "We publish an annual report hard copy and video, and actually the county and the council and many members of the community wanted to know what the impact was in their local area," he said, the paper reported.

Smith, who has served as chief since 1999, is running for re-election.

Get the Story:
3 councilors say Smith wasted Cherokee Nation funds for self-promotion (The Cherokee Phoenix 3/24)
CN Election Commission rules candidates can run (The Cherokee Phoenix 3/24)

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