A special prosecutor has filed an ethics complaint in Navajo Nation District Court against Patrick Sandoval, the former chief of staff to Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, alleging multiple violations of the Navajo Nation Ethics in Government Law.
Special Prosecutor Kyle T. Nayback filed the complaint Friday, accusing Sandoval of requesting and accepting more than $10,000 in gifts or loans for himself or for President Nygren from Innovative Electric, a company that was seeking payment from the Office of the President and Vice President in excess of $500,000 at the time.
Please support our year-end campaign. CLICK HERE TO DONATE.
According to the filing, Sandoval served as chief of staff from January 2023 through March 2025, a position that carried significant authority and influence over Navajo Nation contractual and financial obligations. During that period, the complaint alleges, Sandoval accepted personal financial benefits from Innovative Electric while determining or influencing whether the Navajo Nation would satisfy the company’s claimed debt.
The complaint states that the gifts or loans were not obtained from a regular lending institution, were not insignificant in value and were not motivated by a family or social relationship. Instead, the filing alleges the benefits were accepted while the lender had, or was seeking to obtain, a business or financial relationship with the Navajo Nation, conduct prohibited under 2 N.N.C. § 3756.
Nayback also alleges a violation of 2 N.N.C. § 3744, which requires public officials to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects credit upon the Navajo people and government, asserting that Sandoval’s actions “eroded the trust of the Navajo people.”
The filing further states that the Office of Hearings and Appeals is conflicted from hearing matters related to the Office of the President and Vice President because it is housed within the Executive Branch under the ultimate authority of the president. As a result, the complaint was filed in District Court.
As remedies, the special prosecutor is seeking to bar Sandoval from appointment or employment in any Navajo Nation public office for five years, require forfeiture of compensation and benefits for a period ranging from 30 days to one year, issue a public reprimand to be entered into his permanent record, and order restitution.
Nayback has asked the Navajo Nation District Court to schedule a hearing to review the alleged ethics violations.