URL: https://www.indianz.com/News/archives/001838.asp

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

New leaders of the Eastern Band of Cherokees were inducted on Monday, having survived a challenge to their recent election. A council member also beat an impeachment charge.

The tribe's new principal chief, Michell Hicks, and three council members were elected with the help of off-reservation voters. The tribe's Supreme Court upheld the election on Friday.

Also on Friday, the tribal council failed to impeach council member Bob Blankenship on charges that he violated his oath of office by sending a campaign letter to off-reservation voters. The council failed to impeach former principal chief Leon Jones, who provided Blankenship with a membership list.

"The court's rulings save the Eastern Band from holding a new election, which, besides being costly, would have drawn out the controversy and deepened the bitterness resulting from it. The council's vote against impeaching Blankenship was the right move for the same reasons," The Asheville Citizen Times says in an editorial.

Get the Story:
New Cherokee leaders inducted (The Asheville Citizen Times 10/7)
Eastern Band now in position to move on, up (The Asheville Citizen Times 10/7)

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

Related Stories:
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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