Rival Tribal Operator ‘Unlawfully’ Pressured DOI to Block Scotts Valley Project, Lawsuit Claims

• Tribe accuses DOI of yielding to rival casino lobbyists
• Lawsuit says decision documents were written outside the agency
• DOI paused approval of $700M casino project in Vallejo

A rival casino operator hijacked internal government processes and devised a “roadmap” for federal officials to block the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ proposed casino in Vallejo, Calif., according to newly filed court documents.

The Scotts Valley Band is challenging the Department of the Interior’s March 27 move to put a prior gaming eligibility decision on hold pending legal analysis of whether its land qualified for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

An amended complaint, filed by the Scotts Valley Band on July 15 in a federal court in Washington DC, cites internal DOI communications which it claims show that lobbyists for the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation allegedly drafted key decision documents and influenced White House and DOI officials to reconsider the Tribe’s eligibility.

‘Unlawful Campaign’

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, which operates Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, Calif., has opposed the Scotts Valley Band’s near-decade-long ambition to build a $700 million casino in the region.

The Scotts Valley Band believed the project was finally a go after the outgoing Biden administration approved its trust land application on January 10, 2025.

These lobbyists drafted decision documents, coordinated with senior officials, and executed what the tribe claims was a “two-step” plan to derail the project without due process or valid legal grounds, according to the amended complaint. These documents were then circulated by the DOI’s political appointees and senior staff.

The tribe claims that DOI’s acting leaders, such as the acting solicitor and Bureau of Indian Affairs director, advanced the documents without notifying Scotts Valley. The DOI’s March action followed the lobbyists’ playbook almost line by line, it claims.

‘Law On Our Side’

“The law and facts are absolutely on our side, so we are confident that the court will uphold our rights,” Shawn Davis, Chairman of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, told the Vallejo Times-Herald. “We won’t be deterred from moving forward and building a better future for our Tribe and our neighbors in Vallejo.”

In a statement to the Times Herald on Tuesday morning, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Chairman Anthony Roberts noted that the courts had endorsed the DOI’s reconsideration process.

Look at the facts,” Roberts said. “For years, the Department of the Interior excluded our tribe and others from its decision-making, ignoring our evidence and refusing our meeting requests. In March of this year, the Department realized its error and committed to a fair and open reconsideration process, which gave all parties an equal opportunity to submit evidence for review.”

A federal court confirmed in June that the tribe’s land remains in trust while the reconsideration process plays out. While the court allowed the process to proceed, it has not ruled on the merits of the DOI’s action.