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TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2002

Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb and several top Department of Interior officials are being ordered to testify under oath as part of widening court investigations into trust reform.

Special master Alan Balaran plans to depose McCaleb and several other key trust reform players as part of ongoing oversight. Included are Deputy Commissioner Sharon Blackwell, who is set to leave her job in early June; Jim McDivitt, one of McCaleb's deputies; Special Trustee Tom Slonaker and his top deputy Tommy Thompson; Solicitor Bill Myers, along with Edith Blackwell and Tim Elliott of his staff; Michael Rossetti, Secretary Gale Norton's legal counsel; and Bob Lamb, a senior budget official.

The upcomign deposition will mark McCaleb's first testimony in the case. He appeared in court briefly at the start of the Bush administration's contempt trial.

The other officials ave been cited for contempt by attorneys representing 300,000 American Indian beneficiaries or have close knowledge of events central to the long-running case. Slonaker and Thompson have escaped being named by the plaintiffs and testified in the trial.

Additionally, Balaran is planning to depose the Interior's chief information officer Daryl White this Friday. White also provided testimony for the plaintiffs.

Court monitor Joseph S. Kieffer III is set to conduct his own investigation under new rules imposed when he was reappointed to watch over the department. He hasn't mentioned names yet but his probes are lining up on several issues, including the feud between Norton and Slonaker.

In his most recent report, Kieffer implicated Norton's "minions" for their attempt to tar Slonaker. Potential subjects include Deputy Secretary J. Steven Griles, deputy chief of staff Sue Ellen Wooldridge, Rossetti and Ann Klee, Norton's other legal counsel.

Kieffer also plans to investigate the Office of Indian Trust Transition, which is headed by Ross Swimmer. Kieffer's report indicated Swimmer has sidestepped questions about his qualifications.

Finally, Kieffer is looking into the Office of the Historical Accounting. The office is reporting to Swimmer.

Related Documents:
Special Master Letter on Depositions | Daryl White Subpoena | Court Monitor Investigations

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://130.94.214.68/main/pages/
issues/other_issues/trust_reform.asp