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WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (ABC4) — Navajo President Buu Nygren has nominated a new attorney general after the controversial removal of the current AG by the Navajo Nation Council.
Kris Beecher, who currently serves as Nygren’s deputy chief of staff, was nominated for the position in a letter sent to the council by Nygren on Dec. 18. If approved, Beecher would be the 14th attorney general of the Navajo Nation since the position was created.
“I am honored and humbled to serve the people of the Navajo Nation in this capacity,” Beecher said in a statement released by Nygren. “I look forward to working with all three branches of the government to help the nation move forward. Thank you to President Nygren for trusting me to carry out this role, and it’s time to get back to work. We still have so much more to accomplish.”
Beecher’s nomination comes after the Navajo Nation’s Council removed Ethel Branch, who had served as the Navajo Nation’s attorney general since 2023 and had previously served as the nation’s 11th attorney general from 2015-2018.
Her removal came after a report cleared Nygren of sexual harassment allegations by the nation’s vice president, Richelle Montoya. Branch appointed a special counsel to investigate those allegations in April, however her critics said she had not done enough to investigate the claims of Montoya.
In Nygren’s nomination of Beecher, he expressed frustration with the removal of Branch, saying, “We made huge strides towards justice for our Navajo people, that is who they terminated. I know appointing Kris Beecher as AG, he will continue to keep making those strides for our people. He’s been right there with us and knows what needs to be done.”
Though Beecher has been nominated for attorney general, he still has to be voted on by the Navajo Nation Council to be appointed. According to section 1962 in Title 2 of Navajo Nation Code, the office of the president will make a “recommendation” to the council and the council will then appoint an attorney general.
Nygren said within his statement that until Beecher is rejected or appointed by the council, Heather Clah, deputy attorney general, will remain the acting attorney general and run the Navajo Department of Justice.
ABC4.com has reached out to the Navajo Council for comment on the recommendation of Beecher, but did not receive a response at the time of publishing.