Home > News > Headlines

Print   Subscribe

Audit finds Indian trust management problems
Monday, September 24, 2007
Filed Under: Cobell | Trust

A new audit finds problems with the management of Indian trust land in Palm Springs, California.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs didn't track lease payments and did not enforce leases for land owned by members of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Interior Department's Inspector General said. Some land was leased at below market value because the landowners "just didn't care," according to the audit.

The report was released by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. The group says Robert McCarthy, a field solicitor in southern California, is being fired because he blew the whistle on trust mismanagement problems in Palm Springs.

McCarthy is due to testify at the upcoming Cobell historical accounting trial.

Get the Story:
Press Release: AGENCY AUDIT VERIFIES WHISTLEBLOWER MISMANAGEMENT CHARGES (Peer 9/24)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Kempthorne - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm

Related Stories:
Interior attorney to testify at upcoming Cobell trial (9/18)
DOI won't release trust data in Cobell case (9/11)
Interior attorney accused of disclosing trust data (08/29)
Judge opens electronic data to Cobell plaintiffs (07/10)
Another Cobell historical accounting hearing (7/9)
Judge expresses views on Indian trust fund accounting (06/19)
Hearing on Cobell historical accounting trial (6/18)
Cobell prepares for court battle on accounting (5/30)
Cobell prepares for historical accounting trial (5/18)
Judge prods DOI on Indian trust fund accounting (5/15)
First status conference for Cobell accounting trial (5/14)
Cobell status conference pushed back to May 14 (05/02)
Attorney calls $7B Cobell offer pennies on dollar (4/24)
Cobell heads to landmark accounting trial (4/23)
Judge orders Cobell accounting trial for October 10 (4/20)
Jodi Rave: Cobell calls for accountability (4/12)
Editorial: No justice in $7B offer to settle Cobell (4/6)
Lawmaker questions $7B plan to settle trust cases (4/4)
Gonzales' trust testimony downplayed (3/30)
Listening Lounge: House hearing on BIA-OST (3/30)
Mediator suggests $7-9B settlement for Cobell (3/30)
Jodi Rave: Cobell calls trust offer 'insulting' (3/30)
Senate hearing on Indian trust fund litigation (3/29)
Gonzales won't testify on trust fund (3/28)
Supreme Court refuses Cobell appeals (3/27)
Editorial: The billion-dollar question (3/26)
Senate hearing on trust fund litigation on Thursday (3/26)
The downfall of J. Steven Griles (3/26)
Blast from the Past: NBC segment on Cobell (3/21)
Opinion: US owes Indians billions for theft (3/14)
Bush aide linked to Special Trustee firing resigns (3/14)
BIA names new director for Navajo regional office (3/14)
Mother Jones: Pennies on the dollar for Cobell (3/12)
Bush proposes $7B trust fund settlement (3/8)
Dorgan and Thomas disagree on Cobell settlement (1/22)
Jodi Rave: Cobell sees hope for case in new year (1/20)
NewStandard: Tribes turn to court over trust funds (01/08)
Jodi Rave: Interior mum on class action tribal suit (01/05)
Tribes file class action trust accounting lawsuit (01/04)

Copyright © Indianz.Com