Chip Wadena and other (White Earth Indian) tribal officials were targets of a federal investigation. Prosecutors charged Wadena with stealing more than $500,000. They said he and other officials rigged casino construction bids and set up bogus tribal agencies that provided them with big salaries. Others in Wadena's administration were charged with voter fraud. They stuffed ballot boxes with votes from dead people.

I remember very well what he did. He's helped a lot of people out. Yeah, they did a few crooked dealings. But as I look at it, everybody that's been in there does. They get in there and they get what's for themselves, their families.

This is the old "everyone does it" excuse for being a crook. Like any good politician the convicted felon did buy votes by spreading some of the stolen cash around. So now, they want to vote for him again, and share in the stolen money again.

The tribal chairman serves as CEO of the band's casino and business enterprises. He or she oversees the receipt of millions of dollars in federal funds. That requires a chairman to pass a background check. With Chip Wadena's felony convictions, there's some question as to whether he could pass one. This is were all the stolen cash came from, Federal tax dollars taken from other, non-tribal people, and from gambling receipts. But now he has a convicted felon criminal record that will prevent him from controlling gambling operation and $millions in Federal funds. He should be treated like any other convicted felon.