Special Prosecutor Files Ethics Complaint Against President Buu Nygren

Special Prosecutor Kyle T. Nayback filed a formal complaint in Navajo Nation District Court on November 21, 2025, accusing President Buu Nygren of multiple violations of the Navajo Nation Ethics in Government Law. The filing covers alleged misconduct occurring between January 2023 and May 2025 and asks the court to set a hearing to consider a range of remedies.

The complaint details specific allegations, including misuse of the Nation's travel p card for family lodging and meals, and instructing staff to mischaracterize charges. It also alleges nepotistic hiring of relatives into at will positions and orders by the president that staff perform personal and domestic duties. The special prosecutor requests remedies that include immediate removal from office, disqualification from holding office for five years, forfeiture of compensation for a period of 30 days to one year, public reprimand, and restitution to the Nation.

These proceedings take place within the Navajo Nation's own judicial and ethics framework, a system that governs the conduct of elected leaders and seeks to preserve accountability and public resources. For many residents of Apache County who are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, the complaint raises questions about financial stewardship, personnel practices, and the integrity of executive office.

The filing does not resolve the allegations. The court will determine whether to schedule hearings and what evidence will be considered. The outcome could have direct implications for leadership continuity and for how the Nation administers programs that affect health care, education, infrastructure, and intergovernmental relations in communities across Apache County.

Community leaders and residents who rely on transparent governance and effective delivery of services will be watching the process closely. The complaint underscores the importance of tribal legal institutions in adjudicating disputes involving elected officials, and it highlights the tensions that can arise when questions of ethics intersect with everyday governance and community expectations.