George Tiger served as Principal Chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation for one term, between January 2012 and January 2016. Campaign photo

Law | Politics

Former chief of Muscogee (Creek) Nation indicted for bribery

Thursday, August 15, 2019

George Tiger, a former principal chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, has been indicted on a bribery charge.

The charge against Tiger, 69, is not connected to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, however. It's about his more recent work for the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, another federally recognized tribe that is part of the historic Creek Confederacy.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, he used his position as head of the tribe's economic development authority to solicit and accept bribes totaling more than $5,000.

"The Indictment alleges that from on or about September 26, 2017 through on or about February 15, 2019, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, Defendant George Phillip Tiger did corruptly solicit, demand, accept and agree to accept a thing of value from persons known to the Grand Jury, intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with a transaction or series of transactions of the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town (AQTT) involving $5,000.00 or more," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release on Wednesday.

Tiger served one term as chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, between January 2012 and January 2016. He faced calls to resign over a deal he had entered into with the Kialegee Tribal Town, another Creek Confederacy tribe.

When he refused, Muscogee Creek citizens spoke with their ballots. He came in second in a primary and was later ousted in the general election by James Floyd, the current chief.

Should Tiger be convicted of any crime, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation says he will not be eligible to hold office in the tribe, according to a statement from the election board.