Criminal record should have disqualified top Sask. First Nations chief from last election, critics say – Maharlikanews
27 September 2023
Saskatchewan’s most prominent First Nations leader should have been disqualified from running in the last election, say fellow chiefs, a rival candidate and others.
CBC News has obtained documents outlining Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Chief Bobby Cameron’s criminal record, which includes a 1993 conviction for break and enter and theft.
The FSIN represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. FSIN election rules prohibit candidates with a conviction of fraud or theft from running for office. In a series of interviews, these critics say it’s now clear Cameron should not have been on the ballot in the 2021 election, which he won.
The FSIN’s former chief electoral officer says she tried to raise the issue two weeks before the vote, but was silenced.
Cameron’s criminal record is the latest, but not the only, controversy raging over that 2021 election. CBC News has also examined internal emails, affidavits, lawsuits and other materials alleging vote tampering, conflicts of interest and other impropriety in the races to elect Cameron and four FSIN vice-chiefs.
