Staff Reports
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Special Prosecutor Kyle Nayback, Esq. filed a motion July 16 in the
Office of Hearings and Appeals calling for Director and Chief Hearing Officer Richie Nez to
excuse himself from ethics cases involving Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and former Chief of
Staff Patrick Sandoval. The motion asserts that Nez lacks required qualifications and has conflicts
of interest.
According to the filing, Nez fails to meet the mandatory requirements for a chief hearing officer
under Navajo law, which requires the officers to be licensed attorneys. The motion also states that
Nez holds dual, compensated positions within the Navajo Nation government—serving
simultaneously as OHA Director and as a presidential appointee to the Navajo Nation Labor
Commission—in potential violation of Navajo Nation Ethics and Government Law.
“The Navajo ethics laws exist to prevent public corruption, but they cannot be enforced if the courts
fail to hold timely and proper hearings,” Nayback said. “These cases have been awaiting a hearing on
the merits for over six months. The legal and ethical requirements that protect fairness and
independence must be upheld. Without these fundamental safeguards, the integrity of the cases
and public confidence in the outcome are compromised.”
