Tristin Hopper and the National Post are still digging into the story of the million dollar chief, and it gets curiouser and curiouser.

It turns out that the $8 million “economic development” project that delivered Chief Ron Giesbrecht a $800,000 bonus was provincial government money used to “extinguish” a land claim on Burke Mountain. From the Post:

Rough details of the arrangement were revealed to the National Post by the B.C. Ministry of Finance, which said the Kwikwetlem First Nation was paid to “extinguish” future claims on a plot of Crown land that was being sold off by the province.

Mr. Giesbrecht collected a 10% bonus amounting to $800,000 thanks to his dual role as the economic development officer for the band.

The chief continues to hide behind a faulty interpretation of a non-disclosure agreement in order to prevent details from being revealed to Kwikwetlem members and taxpayers.

Despite Mr. Giesbrecht’s prior claims that the deal could not be publicized because of a non-disclosure agreement, the Ministry said the province “could release the details of the agreement if the First Nation agree”— provided the document checks out with the Freedom of Information Act.

In a statement to the National Post Tuesday, Kwikwetlem authorities refused to make any comment related to the $8-million deal, maintaining that “the transaction remains subject to a non-disclosure agreement.”

Did the Kwikwetlem members know this money was for giving up that claim? We already know the chief didn’t run his bonus past them ahead of time.