Alberta First Nation councillor alleges chief sent her a $421K invoice to prevent her from running again – Unpublished.ca
May 22, 2026
A Federal Court judge has quashed a $421,000 invoice issued to an Alberta First Nation councillor that would have kept her from running in the band’s election next month.
Fort McMurray First Nation (FMFN) Chief Neil Cheecham and Councillor Christopher Beausoleil sent the invoice to Councillor Samantha Whalen this past January “for repayment of unauthorized compensation improperly paid” to her in 2023. Whalen applied for a judicial review of their decision to send her the bill.
“The circumstances and timing surrounding the issuance of the invoice raises serious issues about the validity of the invoice,” Justice Ann Marie McDonald wrote in the May 19 decision.
“The impact of the invoice, however, is undisputed: it would render (Whalen) ineligible to run for re-election in the FMFN election scheduled for June 2026.”
