Former Navajo Nation Delegate Hoskie Kee will spend 30 days in jail for his role in a notorious slush fund case.

During his sentencing Dilkon District Court Judge Cynthia Thompson also ordered Kee to apologize before the council within 90 days after his release from jail.

Thompson ordered Kee to pay $9,000 in restitution and a $1,000 fine. The fine could be commuted to community service.

Kee, 53, was charged with funneling $72,000 to himself and his family from the emergency financial assistance fund that was set up to allow each delegate to help needy families in their chapters.

Rules in place prevented delegates from approving funds to direct family members. However, the majority of the delegates abused the fund by making illegal “quid pro quo” arrangements with other delegates.

For example, Delegate A would approve $5,000 for Delegate B’s family, and Delegate B would okay a like amount to Delegate A’s family.

Kee allegedly had such arrangements with former Speaker Lawrence Morgan, and delegates Young Jeff Tom, Tommy Tsosie, David Tom, and Kenneth Maryboy.

Originally Kee faced six criminal charges but, in exchange for a guilty plea, prosecutors dropped five of the charges. Kee pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Each count could have resulted in up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Prosecutors wanted Thompson to sentence Kee to 180 days in jail.

Instead of jail time, Kee suggested that he should be sentenced to peacemaking court with the three chapters he represented. The Navajo way was “talking things out,” Kee argued.

Kee also objected to restitution as it was not crucial in the Navajo way.

After the judge sentenced him to 30 days, Kee argued against also having to go to peacemaking court or having to pay any fines or restitution.

Kee balked at publicly apologizing before the council, saying the prosecutors just wanted to humiliate him. He argued that some of the current council members had charges against them dropped in exchange for testifying against other delegates.

Thompson only sentenced Kee to 30 days because she felt it would benefit the Navajo Nation more to have Kee give a public apology and undergo peacemaking with the Casamero Lake, Baca-Prewitt and Littlewater chapters.

Kee was ordered to report to the Crownpoint detention staff by noon on July 11.