Президент племени мескалэро-апаши отстранена от должности из-за обвинений в кумовстве и нецелевом расходовании средств

Thora Walsh Padilla, who was recently impeached as the president of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, addresses the community during a 2025 briefing on the tribe's Facebook page. The now-former president of the Mescalero Apache Tribe has been impeached and removed from office by the tribal council after being placed on leave over allegations of nepotism and mismanagement of tribal funds. According to an April letter about her suspension from the tribal council, Thora Walsh Padilla, who took office in 2024, was accused of hiring a person her son was dating to a management position at a livestock facility operated by the tribal government while moving range oversight and other responsibilities to that position from the tribe’s Division of Resource Management and Protection. Walsh Padilla did not respond to a request for a comment on Wednesday afternoon, but in a statement posted to social media, she denied the allegations. She previously said in a statement on social media she had been suspended for giving “a highly qualified young woman a chance, as I was given 32 years ago when I was APPOINTED to my first position with the tribe.” “NO, I AM NOT GUILTY of the craziness for which they impeached me, but they did it anyway because they have gotten away with this for years,” Walsh Padilla wrote. “How many rogue Councils are we going to have to endure before people speak up?” The Mescalero Apache tribal council said Walsh Padilla was impeached July 10 following a monthslong investigation involving financial and contracting decisions in a statement through the tribe’s associate general council. The statement said the council determined Walsh Padilla violated “council-related” policies that “threatened the tribe’s financial integrity.” “The Tribal Council recognizes the longstanding and stellar public service of Thora W. Padilla to the tribe that also enhanced surrounding communities,” the statement said. “The Tribal Council is determined to chart a path forward that creates a strong and healthy community for the Mescalero Apache People to thrive into the future.” In the notice of Walsh Padilla’s suspension, posted by the former president on her social media, the council indicated there were also concerns about Walsh Padilla approving contracts for a large Division of Resource Management and Protection project that “unfairly favored certain contractors over others.” Duane Duffy, who previously served as the tribe’s vice president, will now take over as president of the tribe, per the tribe’s constitution. The Mescalero Apache reservation is located in the Sacramento Mountains of Otero County in south-central New Mexico on about 450,000 acres. The tribe operates the Inn of the Mountain Gods, a popular resort casino south of Ruidoso. The tribe is one of two Apache tribes in New Mexico. According to a letter posted to the tribe’s social media, the council ousted another council member in June over her alleged presence at a graduation party where a shooting took place in the early morning May 30. Links below are provided by a third-party ad network (RevContent). This publication does not endorse or guarantee the products, services, or claims featured.