Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Donates $2 Million to Support Community Initiatives in California

On March 5, 2026, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, a small Native American tribe based on the Rumsey Indian Rancheria in California, donated $2 million to MAGA Inc., the political action committee supporting former President Donald Trump.

The donation, disclosed in Federal Election Commission records, represents one of the largest contributions received by MAGA Inc. During the 2026 midterm election cycle and stands out given the tribe’s small population of approximately 41 residents on the rancheria, according to the latest U.S. Census data.

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation operates the Cache Creek Casino Resort on its 185-acre territory in Brooks, California. The tribe has been engaged in a prolonged legal dispute with the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians over a proposed casino development in Vallejo, California, located about 60 miles from the Yocha Dehe’s land.

The core of the conflict centers on whether a 160-acre parcel in Vallejo qualifies as “restored lands” under federal Indian gaming regulations — a designation that would allow the Scotts Valley Band to build and operate a casino there. On January 10, 2025, during the final days of the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a 30-page memorandum determining that the parcel met the criteria for restored land, making it eligible for gaming development.

In response, the Yocha Dehe has retained Miller Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm, to challenge the decision. Jeff Miller, the founder of Miller Strategies, has been described as an influential figure in Republican political circles and has represented the tribe since 2019 in its efforts to oppose the Scotts Valley project.

The timing of the $2 million donation coincides with an ongoing reconsideration process by the Department of the Interior regarding the restored lands determination. The Yocha Dehe’s contribution to MAGA Inc. Occurred while the agency was reviewing its earlier decision, according to multiple sources tracking the matter.

In March 2026, MAGA Inc. Reported a significant increase in fundraising, bringing its total reserves to $550 million. The Yocha Dehe’s $2 million donation was part of a broader influx of contributions that month, which included $3 million each from venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, $25 million from Republican donor Diane Hendricks, and $1 million from a subsidiary of GEO Group Inc., a private prison contractor with federal clients including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.