TOWER- Bois Forte Tribal Council District 1 Representative Perry Drift has taken a leave of absence following an incident at Fortune Bay Resort Casino on Friday, April 11, that is under internal and law enforcement investigation.
Drift publicly acknowledged in a social media post the following day that he had been intoxicated during the incident and said his behavior was inappropriate. He described the episode as a result of his struggle with alcoholism and announced his intention to begin a 30-day treatment program.
He indicated that he would be unavailable while in treatment and stated his intent to take responsibility for his actions. Drift said he would remain on leave from Tribal Council duties while the investigation continues and would abide by whatever outcome results from that process.
The nature of the incident has not been officially detailed. As of press time, no charges have been filed.
The Bois Forte Reservation Tribal Council released the following statement about the situation on Monday:
“The Reservation Tribal Council (RTC) is aware of incidents that occurred on April 11, at Fortune Bay. The RTC understands that these incidents are being investigated internally by Fortune Bay staff and by law enforcement. The RTC supports a full investigation of these matters and is committed to supporting that process without any interference or influence by individual RTC members or the RTC as a whole. The RTC takes this matter seriously, will be monitoring it closely, and will provide updates when appropriate.”