Albert A. Hale is an attorney and a Democratic politician. He served as Arizona State Senator for District 2 from January 2004 to 2011. He served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017. Hale was elected the second Navajo Nation President in late 1994 by the consent of the Navajo people, serving until 1998, when he resigned after being charged with over 50 felonies and misdemeanors for theft and bribery.
Hale went into private practice. He was appointed as a Judge Pro Tempore in the Laguna Court system of the Laguna Pueblo. He was next appointed as an Assistant Attorney General/Special Counsel to the Navajo Nation Council, an 88-member body. He is a former member and past president of the Navajo Nation Bar Association and a member of the New MexicoState Bar Association.
Political career
Hale was elected the second Navajo Nation President in late 1994, running on a campaign of local empowerment. His intention was to move more powers to the local 110 chapters of government in the Nation. A leader with a national reputation, Hale had become known for his promotion of tribal sovereignty. Ron Allen, president of the National Congress of American Indians, said that he worked to "explain to Congress and the President and the rest of the world that we are Indian governments, not just tribes." The New York Times described him as "one of the most forceful advocates for the rights of tribes as nations within a nation." In 1997, The Navajo Times published articles reporting "alleged misuse of a tribal credit card" and elements of his personal life. The Navajo attorney general appointed a special prosecutor, who investigated for five months Hale's spending in 1995 and 1996. He was indicted in 1997 for accepting kickbacks and bribes, and for misuse of government property. The High Country Times also reported that he had an extramarital affair. He was allowed to resign his post in 1998 to avoid criminal prosecution on 50 counts. Hale returned to his private practice as a lawyer. In addition, he has served as the Chairman of the Navajo Nation Water Rights Commission, established to oversee and coordinate the Navajo Nation's water rights, and related litigation and negotiation efforts. During his tenure on the Commission, New Mexico and the Navajo Nation negotiated the San Juan River BasinWater Right Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement was signed on April 19, 2005 and subsequently approved by the United States Congress. Hale re-entered electoral office in January 2004 when he was appointed by the governor to fill the Arizona Senate seat from the 2nd district, vacated by Jack Jackson, Sr. During his time in the Arizona Senate, Hale had the worst attendance of any state Senator. In 2011, he was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives, and was re-elected in 2012. In the Arizona House of Representatives, Hale is 55 out of 60 in worst attendance for votes. On November 22, 2014, Hale was arrested on suspicion of DUI by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. He was booked into the Navajo County jail in Holbrook, Arizona and released the same day.
