Copyright © 1998 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Cherokee Press Association
Copyright © 1998 CPA
All Rights Reserved

The deputy chief of the Cherokees broke two tie votes by the Tribal Council on Monday to save the jobs of the tribe’s secretary-treasurer and general counsel.

Tribal councilors tied 7-7 on motions to rescind the appointments of Jennie Battles as secretary-treasurer and Rex Earl Star as general counsel. Deputy Chief Garland Eagle voted against the motions.

Seven of eight councilors aligned with Principal Chief Joe Byrd were present and voted against rescinding the appointments.

Tribal councilor Barbara Starr-Scott said she sought Battles’ removal for two reasons:

**An FBI investigation into Battles’ transfer of Cherokee Nation Housing Authority funds to pay her home mortgage payments.
**The condition of the tribe’s books, which Scott says are unauditable.

Battles has admitted sending wire transfers labeled as certificate of deposit transfers from a Housing Authority account to her home mortgage company in Texas. She said she did so because she was owed the money for extra work she performed while the authority’s chief financial officer.

Scott also brought the motion to remove Starr as general counsel. She said he has put the chief’s interest above the tribe’s.

Both Starr and Battles left tribal headquarters shortly after the votes were taken and could not be contacted.

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HOW THEY VOTED:

The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council voted Monday on motions to rescind the appointments of Jennie Battles as secretary-treasurer and Rex Earl Starr as general counsel.

For rescinding: Barbara Starr Scott, Harold “Jiggs” Phillips, William Smoke, Harold DeMoss, Paula Holder, Nick Lay and Troy Poteete. Against rescinding: Dora Mae Watie, Don Crittenden, Bill John Baker, Barbara Conness, Harley Terrell, Chuck Hoskin and Sam Ed Bush.