And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 12:08:53 -0500 To: Recipient List Suppressed:; From: Native Americas Journal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: FEDERAL OFFICIALS HELD IN CONTEMPT IN TRUST ACCOUNT MISMANAGEMENT The following article is provided by Native Americas, published by the Akwe:kon Press at Cornell University. For more information on how to stay informed of emerging trends that impact Native peoples throughout the hemisphere visit our website at http://nativeamericas.aip.cornell.edu FEDERAL OFFICIALS HELD IN CONTEMPT IN TRUST ACCOUNT MISMANAGEMENT By Leslie Logan/Native Americas Cleaning up the Bureau of Indian Affairs trust account imbroglio took on new urgency last month when a federal judge cited top federal administrative officials with contempt of court. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth cited Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, Kevin Gover, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit, and Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin with contempt for showing a "flagrant disregard" of orders to produce trust account documents in a class action lawsuit alleging mismanagement of 2.5 billion in Indian funds. Judge Lamberth aimed scathing remarks at the top officials who he said have engaged in a "shocking pattern of deception of the court" and have "abused the rights of Indians." The condemnation came shortly after the resignation of Paul Homan, the Clinton administration's Special Trustee for American Indians. Homan resigned in protest of what he claimed were efforts by Babbit to undermine and obstruct attempts to untangle the trust account mess. The three government officials issued apologies for their inability to produce records, blaming the delays on bureaucratic turf battles, budget shortages and a lack of coordination among agencies. Gover, Clinton's top Native American official said the accounting disaster alarm went off in the 1930's, but all previous administrations had ignored the problem until now. Congress has now appropriated $42 million for a data cleanup that has just begun with the BIA offices in Billings, Mont. Thirty federal employees have armed themselves with the tailor-made Trust Asset and Accounting Management System in an attempt to sort out the trust account records. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
