On January 1, 2008, the republic announced that it would begin to file the on all U.S. government-held lands within their claimed borders; however, the first round of liens, in an unnamed county in South Dakota, were rejected. In July 2008, Means announced that the Republic of Lakotah would be creating an all-Lakota "grand jury" to investigate corruption by U.S. government officials on the seven reservations in the republic's claimed territory. In early 2008, Means stated that he intended to treat the result of the upcoming 2008 , in which he was a candidate, as a "/" on Lakota independence. He lost that election 1,918 to 2,277.