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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2002

The Bush administration, backed by Republicans in Congress, is challenging about $2 million in legal fees collected and owed to court investigators in the Individual Indian Money (IIM) class action.

That's notwithstanding the fact that the Department of Interior and Congress have spent more than $700 million on trust reform but have nothing tangible to show for it.

The fees are being paid to special master-monitor Joseph S. Kieffer III and special master Alan Balaran. Secretary Gale Norton has gone after Kieffer but has been quiet about Balaran lately.

Get the Story:
Legal fees for Indian suit in millions (The Denver Post 9/27)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Trust Reform, NCAI - http://www.ncai.org/main/pages/
issues/other_issues/trust_reform.asp

Related Stories:
Norton drafts Indian land grab (9/26)
Indian trust 'a national disgrace' (9/25)
Norton's denials ring hollow (9/20)
Rift widens on trust reform negotiations (9/12)
Tribes scrap talks on trust standards (9/11)
Tribal leaders debate trust reform bill (5/23)
McCaleb gets too close to termination (1/29)
Interior moving to close trust fund accounts (1/25)