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Attorney general reports intervention motion and trust‑land opinion work
Summary
Attorney General Chad Harsha told the council the office filed a motion to intervene in litigation involving district attorneys and that the U.S. filed a motion supporting the Nation's intervention; Harsha also highlighted ongoing work on a recent opinion concerning land trust acquisitions referenced as the 'M opinion.'
Chad Harsha, Cherokee Nation Deputy Attorney General/Acting Attorney General (as recorded in the meeting), updated the Tribal Council on ongoing litigation and administrative work during the Feb. 27 meeting.
Harsha reported the Nation has engaged in litigation against two district attorneys in Rogers County and one in the Eastern District of Oklahoma — named in the meeting as Matt Ballard and Carol Iskey — and that his office had filed a motion to intervene in that case. He said the United States filed a motion in support of the Nation’s motion to intervene and that the litigation is moving into an initial briefing schedule.
On another matter, Harsha said his office has been engaged with work stemming from the “recent M opinion regarding UKB land and trust acquisitions,” which he described as a significant focus for his office since the last council meeting. The transcript uses the phrase “recent M opinion” and “UKB land and trust acquisitions.” Harsha said his office was continuing its regular criminal and civil work while preparing for upcoming election‑related legal questions and coordinating with the election commission and marshal’s office.
Harsha offered to discuss aspects of the litigation in more detail offline when requested by a council member. He also thanked council members for their support in protecting tribal sovereignty and noted increased litigation workload during election season.
The council did not take formal action on these items during the public portion of the meeting; Harsha’s remarks were presented as an update.
