L. Jace Killsback has returned to office as president of the
Northern Cheyenne Tribe.
Killsback won a special election on January 3 by just two votes. Yet after he was sworn in on January 15, the losing candidate and leaders on the tribal council claimed the inauguration was illegal.
A lawsuit in tribal court appeared to place Killsback's victory in doubt. But the judge was forced to remove himself from the case after his support for the losing candidate, Donna Fisher, came to light.
A
different judge took over and laid the groundwork for new proceedings. That's when Killsback and the tribal council reached a compromise, resulting in another inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, The Billings Gazette reported.
"I'm here, I'm doing my job, what I can," Killsback told The Gazette. "That takes, again, collaboration with the council, and we need them to collaborate so we can move forward."
The council had removed Killsback from office last October, alleging mismanagement and dereliction of duty. He had won election in November 2016 by a landslide,
Native Sun News Today reported at the time.
Read More on the Story:
Twice-removed Northern Cheyenne president takes office for a third time
(The Billings Gazette February 21, 2018)
Ousted Northern Cheyenne president's 2nd inauguration declared invalid, but he plans to fight it
(The Billings Gazette January 18, 2018)
Northern Cheyenne Council members argue Killsback’s inauguration was invalid
(MTN News January 18, 2018)
Losing candidate for Northern Cheyenne president seeks invalidation of election results, revote
(MTN News January 12, 2018)
Runner-up in Northern Cheyenne election requests do-over after losing by 2 votes
(The Billings Gazette January 12, 2018)
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