The River — Searchable Index | Patrick H. Lambert

Family

Angie

Patrick's younger sister

Ch. 2

Dee-Dee

Patrick's sister; closest in age; childhood companion

Ch. 2, 3

Edwina

Patrick's sister; deceased

Ch. 2

Henrietta

Patrick's sister; deceased

Ch. 2

Lambert, Cyndi

Patrick's wife since April 30, 1986; anchor through impeachment and vindication

Prologue, Ch. 4, 16, 25, 26, 30, 33, 35, 36, Epilogue

Lambert, Gina

Daughter; born January 1987; earned law degree from University of North Dakota

Ch. 4, 33, 35

Lambert, Henry ('Chief Henry')

Patrick's father; 'The World's Most Photographed Indian'; passed away November 22, 2007

Ch. 1, 2, 3, 5, 16

Lambert, Nelson

Son; born 1988; earned LL.M. in Gaming Law from UNLV (2017)

Ch. 4, 26, 33, 35

Lambert, Patrick's mother

Raised six children; taught that poverty was circumstance, not identity

Ch. 1, 2, 3, 5

Lambert, Tiffany

Daughter; born September 1983

Ch. 4, 33

Pat

Patrick's sister

Ch. 2

People

Beck, Bill

Present at TeePee Village shutdown

Ch. 7

Bridgers, Ben

Tribal Attorney; Patrick's mentor; guided early gaming legal framework; passed away July 9, 2016

Ch. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Buffalo, Bill

General Counsel, Harrah's NC Casino; Chief Regulatory Compliance Officer

Ch. 17, 18, 19

Burgess, J.L.

First Chairman of the independent Gaming Commission (1992–2012); retired military

Ch. 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 20

Cabot, Anthony (Professor)

Gaming law expert; UNLV Boyd School of Law

Ch. 35

Carlton, Phil

Harrah's executive involved in compact negotiations

Ch. 18

Cooper, Roy

Governor of North Carolina

Ch. 18

Cortés, Pedro

LL.M. classmate; managing partner at law firm

Ch. 35

Crowe, Bo

Council member; testified during impeachment proceedings

Ch. 27, 28

Dillard, Lee

Director of Finance for Gaming Commission

Ch. 14, 20

Dugan, Joyce

First female Principal Chief of the Eastern Band (elected 1995); educator

Ch. 10, 11, 12, 13

Easley, Mike

Governor of North Carolina; compact negotiations

Ch. 18

Frederick, Scott

LL.M. classmate; litigator, judge, business owner

Ch. 35

French, Richard

Big Cove representative; one of three who voted against impeachment

Ch. 22, 23, 25, 27, 28

Hagan, Kay

NC legislator; later U.S. Senator; worked on gaming issues; passed away 2019

Ch. 18

Haigler, Tom

Gaming Commissioner (1992–2012); motel owner; military background

Ch. 7, 8, 9, 10

Hicks, Michell

Principal Chief during Patrick's tenure as Gaming Commission Executive Director

Ch. 19, 20, 21

Hogen, Philip N.

Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC); addressed illegal reserves

Ch. 9, 15, 20

Hunt, Jim

Governor of NC; agreed to negotiate gaming compact (1993); signed compact August 11, 1994

Ch. 7, 8

Jones, Brandon

Vice Chairman of Council; Chairman of Qualla Housing Board

Ch. 23, 24

Jones, Leon

Principal Chief; worked with Patrick on compact amendments

Ch. 18, 19

Jones, Scott

Patrick Lambert's attorney during impeachment and vindication

Acknowledgments, Ch. 27, 28, 29, 36

Kaufman, Katie

LL.M. classmate; passed two bar exams during program

Ch. 35

Londo, Darold

Senior VP and General Manager, Harrah's Cherokee (2006–2011); West Point graduate

Ch. 17

Martin, Jim

Governor of NC; refused to negotiate gaming compact; subject of 1992 lawsuit

Ch. 7

McCorkle, Matthew

LL.M. classmate; persevered through severe COVID

Ch. 35

McCoy, Dan

Chairman of Tribal Council (1989 Gaming Commission)

Ch. 9

McCoy, Teresa

Big Cove representative; one of three who voted against impeachment

Ch. 11, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28

McCrory, Pat

Governor of North Carolina

Ch. 18

Parker, Gerard

Vice Chief; became Acting Principal Chief briefly after Ed Taylor's impeachment (1995)

Ch. 11

Paul, Wilbur

BIA Superintendent; member of 1989 Gaming Commission

Ch. 9

Perdue, Beverly

Governor of North Carolina

Ch. 18

Roberts, Jennifer (Professor)

Regulatory theory; UNLV Boyd School of Law

Ch. 35

Rolnick (Professor)

UNLV Boyd School of Law faculty

Ch. 35

Rose, Albert

Council member; testified during impeachment proceedings

Ch. 27, 28

Satre, Phil

Chairman of Harrah's Board

Ch. 17

Saunooke, Rick

Senior Agent, Gaming Commission; key investigator

Ch. 14, 20

Saunooke, Rob

Attorney; prosecutor in 2017 impeachment proceedings

Ch. 23, 27, 28

Saunooke, Robert 'Birdie'

Vice Chairman of Gaming Commission (1992–2012); owner of Saunooke Village shops

Ch. 7, 8, 9, 10

Saunooke, Tommye

Painttown representative; one of three who voted against impeachment

Ch. 22, 23, 25, 27, 28

Smith, Travis

Birdtown representative; led Council opposition to Lambert administration

Ch. 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 31

Sneed, Erik

Secretary of Budget and Finance; testified during impeachment

Ch. 27, 28

Sneed, Richard G. (Richie)

Vice Chief under Patrick Lambert; became Principal Chief following 2017 impeachment

Ch. 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

Taylor, Jonathan L. 'Ed'

Principal Chief during gaming compact negotiations; vetoed Harrah's agreement; impeached 1995

Ch. 6, 7, 8, 10, 11

Taylor, William 'Bill'

Chairman of Tribal Council during compact negotiations; architect of 1995 primary system

Ch. 8, 10, 11

Tolosa, Carlos

President, Harrah's Eastern Division; respected tribal sovereignty

Ch. 17, 18, 19, 25

Venore, Andy

Lead attorney for State of NC during compact negotiations

Ch. 8

Vilela, Antonio Lobo

LL.M. classmate from Portugal; gaming law author

Ch. 35

Wildcatt, Curtis

Interim official; testified during impeachment

Ch. 27

Places

Bellingham, Washington

Where Patrick attended college fisheries program at age 16 (1979)

Ch. 4

Big Cove

Cherokee community; represented by Richard French and Teresa McCoy

Ch. 25, 27, 28

Birdtown

Cherokee community; represented by Travis Smith

Ch. 22, 23, 36

Cherokee Central Schools

Site of April 18, 2017 Grand Council (over 1,300 attendees)

Ch. 25

Cherokee, North Carolina

Town on the Qualla Boundary; center of tribal government and gaming

Throughout

Council Chambers / Tribal Council House

Site of tribal government proceedings and impeachment hearing

Prologue, Ch. 11, 22-28

Fort Dix, New Jersey

U.S. Army boot camp (January 1986)

Ch. 4

Fort Lee, Virginia

U.S. Army AIT training (Spring 1986)

Ch. 4

Fort Richardson, Alaska

U.S. Army station (May 1986); where Gina was born

Ch. 4

Harrah's Cherokee Casino

Tribal gaming facility; opened November 13, 1997

Ch. 10, 13, 17, 18, 19

Las Vegas, Nevada

Location of UNLV; Nelson's graduation May 2017

Ch. 26, 35

Mountain Breeze

Early gaming location referenced in discovery of gaming opportunity

Ch. 6, 7

Painttown

Cherokee community; represented by Tommye Saunooke

Ch. 27, 28

Qualla Boundary

Cherokee tribal lands in Western North Carolina; Patrick's lifelong home

Throughout

Qualla Housing Authority

Tribal housing agency; subject of FBI raid February 2, 2017

Ch. 23, 24

Saunooke Village

Shopping and craft area on the Boundary

Ch. 7, 9

Sevilla, Spain

Study-abroad program location (1984)

Ch. 4

Snowbird

Cherokee community; Christmas dinner incident

Ch. 22

Sylva, North Carolina

Location of Ben Bridgers's law office

Ch. 6, 11

Syracuse, New York

Location of MICS committee meeting on September 11, 2001

Ch. 15

TeePee Village

Site of illegal gaming operations; padlocked August 5, 1994

Ch. 7

Tennessee Technological University (TTU)

Patrick's undergraduate institution; degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology

Ch. 4

UNC School of Law (Chapel Hill)

Patrick's law school; J.D. earned May 1993

Ch. 4, 6

UNLV Boyd School of Law

LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation; graduated May 14, 2021

Ch. 35

Washington, D.C.

Site of Impact Week; where Council interviewed impeachment prosecutors (January 2017)

Ch. 15, 23

Wolfetown

Cherokee community; weighted voting significance

Ch. 29

Organizations

Casino Magic

Gaming company that competed for Cherokee management agreement

Ch. 10

Cherokee Board of Elections

Denied Patrick's 2025 candidacy; decision appealed to Supreme Court

Ch. 36

Cherokee Supreme Court

Highest tribal court; ruled unanimously in Patrick's favor July 10, 2025

Ch. 36, Epilogue

Cherokee Tribal Gaming Commission

Regulatory body; Patrick served as Executive Director (1996-2015)

Ch. 7, 9, 10, 12-21

Department of Justice (DOJ)

Sent criminal investigation letter October 4, 2016

Ch. 24

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI)

Federally recognized tribe; Patrick served as Principal Chief (2015-2017)

Throughout

FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

Conducted raid on Qualla Housing February 2, 2017; investigated Baker's Dozen

Ch. 14, 23, 24

Harrah's Entertainment / Caesars Entertainment

Casino management partner since 1995

Ch. 10, 13, 17, 18, 19

Kroll Associates

Investigative firm hired by Bill Taylor to investigate Ed Taylor administration

Ch. 11

National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC)

Federal regulatory agency for tribal gaming

Ch. 9, 15, 20

Nevada Gaming Commission

State regulatory body; licensed Harrah's

Ch. 10

New Jersey Casino Control Commission

State regulatory body; licensed Harrah's

Ch. 10

RGL Forensics

Independent auditing firm hired January 2016

Ch. 24

TCGE Board of Advisors

Created by Ordinance No. 238 (July 1996)

Ch. 12, 20

Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise (TCGE)

Business board overseeing casino operations

Ch. 17, 20

U.S. Army

Patrick's military service (1985-1989)

Ch. 4

Legal & Documents

California v. Cabazon (1987)

U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing tribal gaming rights

Ch. 6

Cherokee Charter Section 22

Governs impeachment; silent on barring future candidacy

Ch. 36

Cherokee Charter Section 9

Establishes qualifications for tribal office (enrollment, age, residency)

Ch. 36

Cherokee Code § 161-3(d)(3)

Ordinance barring impeached officials from future office; ruled unconstitutional 2025

Ch. 36

Crowe v. EBCI (2003)

Cherokee Supreme Court case invalidating ordinance despite prior use

Ch. 36

Eleventh Amendment

Constitutional provision affecting tribal-state lawsuit rights

Ch. 7

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA)

Federal law passed 1988; established framework for tribal gaming

Ch. 6, 8

Minimum Internal Control Standards (MICS)

Federal gaming regulations; Patrick served on drafting committee

Ch. 15

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)

Federal law regarding ancestral remains discovered during construction

Ch. 13

Ordinance No. 238 (1996)

Established independent Tribal Gaming Commission structure

Ch. 12

Ordinance No. 618 (2017)

Adopted impeachment procedures — passed September 28, 2017, four months after Patrick's removal

Ch. 31

Powell v. McCormack

U.S. Supreme Court case on constitutional qualifications for office

Ch. 36

Resolution 370 (1995)

Established competitive bidding process for management agreement

Ch. 10

Resolution 427 (1995)

Formal authorization of Harrah's management agreement

Ch. 10

Revenue Allocation Plan

NIGC-approved plan governing distribution of gaming revenue

Ch. 20

Seminole Tribe v. Florida

U.S. Supreme Court case on tribal-state compact enforcement

Ch. 7

Tribal-State Gaming Compact (1994)

First compact signed with Governor Hunt on August 11, 1994

Ch. 8

Twelve Articles of Impeachment

Charges brought against Patrick Lambert in 2017

Ch. 29

Key Events

Baker's Dozen Investigation (1998)

Internal theft ring discovered and prosecuted; $187,000 stolen

Ch. 14

Council Interviews Impeachment Prosecutors (January 2017)

Council members travel to Washington, D.C.

Ch. 23

DOJ Criminal Investigation Letter (October 4, 2016)

Department of Justice confirms investigation of Qualla Housing

Ch. 24

Ed Taylor Impeachment (September 15, 1995)

First Principal Chief impeachment in over two decades

Ch. 11

Election as Principal Chief (September 2015)

Patrick elected with approximately 71% of the vote

Ch. 21, 22

FBI Raid on Qualla Housing (February 2, 2017)

Federal agents execute search warrant; Vice Chief moves to investigate Patrick same afternoon

Ch. 24

First Audit Reports (April 2016)

RGL findings reveal serious problems; submitted to FBI

Ch. 24

Gaming Compact Signing (August 11, 1994)

First Tribal-State Gaming Compact signed with Governor Hunt

Ch. 8

Governor Hunt's Phone Call (January 1993)

New governor agrees to negotiate gaming compact

Ch. 7

Grand Council (April 18, 2017)

Over 1,300 tribal members gather at Cherokee Central Schools

Ch. 25

Harrah's Cherokee Casino Opening (November 13, 1997)

Grand opening of the casino facility

Ch. 13

Harrah's Management Agreement (1995)

Contract signed establishing Harrah's as casino operator

Ch. 10

Impeachment (May 25, 2017)

Tribal Council votes 9-3 to remove Patrick Lambert as Principal Chief

Ch. 27, 28, 29, 30

Lawsuit Against Governor Martin (Fall 1992)

Tribe sues to compel gaming compact negotiations

Ch. 7

Nelson's LL.M. Graduation (May 12, 2017)

Nelson graduates from UNLV; Patrick drives home to face impeachment

Ch. 26

Ordinance 618 Passed (September 28, 2017)

Impeachment procedures adopted four months after Patrick's removal

Ch. 31

Patrick Quits Smoking (February 22, 2008)

Personal health milestone

Ch. 16

Patrick Reports Investigation to Council (October 10, 2016)

Public disclosure of federal investigation

Ch. 24

Patrick's Father Passes Away (November 22, 2007)

Henry Lambert dies from lung cancer

Ch. 16

Patrick's LL.M. Graduation (May 14, 2021)

Delivers keynote speech; graduates from UNLV Boyd School of Law

Ch. 35

RGL Audits Begin (January 2016)

Forensic audits initiated by Patrick's administration

Ch. 24

September 11, 2001

Patrick in Syracuse for MICS committee meeting when terrorist attacks occur

Ch. 15

Special Reserve Fund Discovery (June 2004)

Patrick uncovers illegal reserves; forces return of $6+ million to tribal members

Ch. 20

TeePee Village Shutdown (August 5, 1994)

Illegal gaming operations padlocked by Gaming Commission

Ch. 7

Vindication / Rights Restored (July 10, 2025)

Cherokee Supreme Court unanimously rules in Patrick's favor

Ch. 36, Epilogue

Topics

Background Investigations

Licensing requirements for gaming employees and vendors

Ch. 12, 14

Cash Handling Procedures

Financial controls in gaming operations

Ch. 14, 15

Cherokee Culture / Identity

Heritage, traditions, and community values

Ch. 1, 2, 3, 25, Epilogue

Compact Negotiations

Tribal-state agreements governing gaming operations

Ch. 7, 8, 18

Constitutional Qualifications

Charter requirements for holding tribal office

Ch. 36

Due Process

Legal protections denied during impeachment proceedings

Ch. 27, 28, 29, 31

Education

Patrick's academic journey from dropout to LL.M.

Ch. 4, 6, 35

Entrepreneurship

Patrick's business ventures (snow cones, craft shop, laundromat, hotel)

Ch. 5, 31, 34

Family

Central role of Cyndi, children, and grandchildren

Ch. 4, 16, 26, 30, 33, 35

Forensic Audits

Independent financial investigations ordered by Patrick

Ch. 24

Gaming Regulation

Tribal oversight of casino operations

Ch. 7, 9, 12, 14, 15, 17

Hotel Expansion

Growth of resort facilities at Harrah's Cherokee

Ch. 19

Impeachment Procedures

No formal rules existed until Ordinance 618 (September 2017)

Ch. 27, 28, 29, 31

Live Table Games

Expansion of gaming beyond electronic machines

Ch. 18

Management Agreements

Contracts with casino operators (Harrah's)

Ch. 10, 17

Military Service

Patrick's U.S. Army service (1985-1989)

Ch. 4

Per Capita Distributions

Revenue sharing with tribal members; 50% requirement

Ch. 20

Primary Election System

Created by Bill Taylor in 1995; changed tribal politics

Ch. 11

Surveillance Standards

Casino security and monitoring requirements

Ch. 14, 15

Transparency / Accountability

Central theme of Patrick's administration; sparked opposition

Ch. 22, 23, 24, 25

Tribal Sovereignty

Self-governance and nation-to-nation relationship with federal government

Ch. 6, 8, 9, 15, 17, 36

Vindication

Legal and moral restoration following impeachment

Ch. 36, Epilogue

Weighted Voting System

Council votes based on community population

Ch. 29