Lawsuit Says SBA Violated CARES Act by Barring Tribe-Owned Lenders, Casinos from Loan Program

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A Sioux Indian tribe has accused the Small Business Administration and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin of violating the CARES Act by making it impossible for eligible tribal-owned casinos and lenders to obtain Paycheck Protection Loans.

In an April 24 amended complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe further contends the SBA’s no-casino and no-lender rules are contrary to the terms of the CARES Act, which provides that any tribal business is eligible for a PPP loan if it employs less than 500 employees.

The Paycheck …