Utes rally to protest tribe's financial management

Ute elder Cecelia Jenkins wants Congress to hold her tribal leaders accountable when it comes to Uinta Basin finances — specifically $190 million in "water settlement funds" withdrawn from federal holdings last week.

"We want to know how our money is spent," said Jenkins, one of about 25 protesters at the federal building in downtown Salt Lake on Thursday calling for a congressional investigation into the tribe's financial management.

Tribal Chairwoman Maxine Natchees says the plans to withdraw the funds have been announced at General Council meetings as part of the overall financial management plan.

But the protesters say they were unaware of plans for the withdrawal and have yet to see any plans the Ute Business Committee has for the management of the money.

The $190 million makes up the bulk of the funds awarded to the tribe in the mid-1990s under the Central Utah Water Completion Act.

Natchees said the Office of Trust Funds Management did "a very poor job" of managing the money, so two years ago the Business Committee started the process of moving the money to private management.

"We saw development around Uinta Basin but nothing on the reservation," she said. "All we're doing is making sure we get maximum benefits from our investment. . . . We are really working for financial stability for the tribe, so we can provide more jobs, more programs."

Sandy Hansen, attorney for those who oppose the fund release, said she is sending a formal letter requesting a congressional investigation to Utah's Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, and to Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.

Natchees said $190 million is being managed by the New York firm Bear Stearns. However, the protesters believe it is in the control of the Venture Board, under the direction of John Jurrius and his company the Jurrius Group. The tribe pays Jurrius $50,000 a month, "plus 10 percent of every deal," said former tribal Chairman Floyd Wopsock.

Wopsock said he was a member of the committee when it voted unanimously to hire Jurrius but was later ousted from leadership because he asked too many questions about money management.

"We're at the point and time that nothing positive has happened for the tribe," Wopsock said. "Our financial plan needs a complete overhaul."

Hansen says the Business Committee never held required public meetings before withdrawing the funds, and the Business Committee's validity has been under federal court challenge since October 2003.

"What's particularly upsetting is the Department of Interior now maintains that because it released the money, it has no more authority or obligation for it," Hansen said. "That means the $190 million could end up in the Bahamas tomorrow and the tribe would have no recourse."

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