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Norton using rider to seek stay of Cobell case
Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Secretary of Interior Gale Norton is using a new appropriations rider to delay the Indian trust fund case.

Government attorneys say the rider, contained in the Department of Interior's spending bill that President Bush signed into law on Monday, protects them from a court order that requires an accounting of at least $13 billion in Indian funds.

The rider only references the historical accounting but Norton's attorneys say it protects them from another part of the court order that calls for changes in how Indian trust assets are managed. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth on September 25 said he was going to appoint a judicial monitor to ensure the federal government was meeting its trust responsibilities.

Get the Story:
Indian land audit faces court test (AP 11/12)

DOI Budget Bill:
H.R.2691

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

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