A former chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians of California said eight of his family members were disenrolled for political reasons.

King Freeman, 76, led the tribe for nearly two decades. He said current chairman Robert Smith holds a grudge against him although he wouldn't go into details.

"There is a grudge between the chairman and me," Freeman told The North County Times.

Freeman last year tried to recall vice chairman Leroy Miranda, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of lewd conduct for allegedly soliciting a prostitute.

Get the Story:
Personal grudge led to ouster of tribal members, family says (The North County Times 9/6)

Related Stories:
Correction: Pala Band did not remove former leader from rolls (9/1)
Pala Band disenrolls eight people, including a past chairman (8/31)