U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth acted at the request of lawyers representing Indians, who said Norton and others should be held accountable for failing to reform the trust fund, which is maintained for about 300,000 Native Americans. Lamberth is presiding over a lawsuit filed five years ago on behalf of the Indians.

A court-appointed monitor has accused Norton and other officials of failing to comply with Lamberth’s orders to make changes. Lamberth said yesterday he will hold civil contempt proceedings against Norton and Assistant Interior Secretary Neal McCaleb. He said he might initiate proceedings against others later.

In February 1999, Lamberth cited then-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, then-Assistant Interior Secretary Kevin Gover and then-Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin for contempt for failing to produce records in the lawsuit. Norton recently announced plans to overhaul the trust system.

9/25/02 – Houston Chronicle
Interior Failure

9/25/02 – Omaha World Herald
The Indian Enron

9/25/02 – Argus Leader
It’s time to give management of Indian trust funds to independent expert

9/24/02 – Billings Gazette
Trust fund ailing for too long.

9/23/02 – Dallas Morning News
Indian Affairs: Interior Department deserves court rebuke

9/22/02 – Los Angeles Times
11 Million Acres of Shame

9/19/02 – Indian Country Today
Trust Fund decision; endgame for Interior?

9/19/02 – Newsday
U.S.’s Rape of the Indians Continues Still Today.

9/19/02 – NY Times
Contempt at Interior

9/18/02 – The Denver Post
Norton justly reprimanded.

9/18/02 – The Los Angeles Times
Interior Secretary Is Held in Contempt Over Indian Fund

9/18/02 – The Wall Street Journal
Judge Holds Interior Secretary In Contempt Over Indian Trust

9/18/02 – The Arizona Republic
Interior chief, aide cited for contempt

9/18/02 – Great Falls Tribune
Judge holds Interior head in contempt

9/18/02 – The Seattle Times
Indian trust liars should be sent to jail

9/18/02 – The Denver Post
Norton convicted of civil contempt

9/15/02 – The Denver Post
Indian trust talks grind to a halt again

8/7/02 – Indianz.com
Probe raises more questions than answers

8/7/02 – The Washington Post
Indian Funds Reform Faulted

8/4/02 – The Denver Post
Killing the messenger

8/1/02 – The Arizona Republic
Indian fund trustee believes his criticism of boss led to job loss

7/31/02 – The Arizona Republic
Indians’ special trustee leaves post

7/31/02 – The Denver Post
Indian trust supervisor resigns under pressure

7/30/02 – The Wall Street Journal
Interior Aide Says He Was Forced To Quit Indian Trust-Fund Probe

7/23/02 – Indian Country Today
Congress rebuffs attacks on Indians, Honors its trust responsibilities.

7/22/02 – The Denver Post
The BIA distrust fund

7/19/02 – The Arizona Republic
Hayworth bars bid to cut Indian trust-fund probe

7/17/02 – Indianz.com
Interior budget bill generates strong debate

7/16/02 – The Los Angeles Times
Truth and Consequences on the Reservation

7/8/02 – The Baltimore Sun
A trust misplaced

5/15/02 – The Washington Post
Megabites of Ram

5/14/02 – Bozeman Chronicle
First Native American woman to receive MSU’s highest honor takes on government

5/2/02 – Lincoln Journal Star
Secretary critical of Native trust fund reform manager

4/27/02 – The Age
Blackfeet On Warpath For Missing Billions

4/25/02 – Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA)
Lack of good faith

4/22/02 – The Washington Post
Lost Trust: Billions Go Uncounted; Indians in Century-Old Fight to Tally Money Owed for Land Use

4/19/02 – The Washington Post
Memo Rips Indian Land Use Payments

4/18/02 – The Associated Press
Judge blocks plan to move 32,000 boxes of Indian trust records

4/12/02 – Indianz.com
Norton resisting court presence on trust reform

4/7/02 – The Denver Post
Past, present Interior officials on hook

4/5/02 – Indianz.Com
Norton faces more scrutiny on trust fund

4/4/02 – Indianz.com
Trust fund judge considering sanctions for ‘attack’

4/3/02 – Indianz.com
Indian beneficiaries being denied millions

4/2/02 – The Denver Post
Interior’s Net debacle appears far from over

4/1/02 – The Washington Monthly
Lone-Star Justice

4/1/02 – Sydney Morning Herald
Native Injustice Undone

4/1/02 – Indianz.com
Government punished for stonewalling on trust fund

3/30/02 – Washington Post
U.S. Is Penalized by Judge In Indian Trust Fund Case

3/27/02 – The Spokesman-Review
Sometimes reform just not enough

3/25/02 – Legal Times
Indian Trust Suit Takes Toll at Interior

3/23/02 – The Economist
Justice for Indians

3/22/02 – The Associated Press
Plaintiffs seek further contempt sanctions against Interior Secretary

3/20/02 – Christian Science Monitor
A Blackfeet’s crusade to settle accounts with US

3/18/02 – The Denver Post
Dogged lawyer vies for Indians

3/8/02 – Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star
Transfer of 32,000 boxes of Native land records disputed

3/7/02 – St. Petersburg Times
New steps needed for Indian trust

3/3/02 – The Denver Post
Interior’s shabby mess

3/3/02 – The Denver Post
Can indian trust fund debacle ever be resolved?

3/1/02 – The Wall Street Journal
D.C. Bamboozlers Make Enron Look Amateurish

3/1/02 – Indian Country Today
Gale Norton’s Policy Cliff

2/26/02 – The New York Times
‘Hackers’ Find No Bars to Indian Trust Files

2/24/02 – The Associated Press
Trust fund has created a century of problems for Indians

2/23/02 – Portland Oregonian
Native Americans Lose, Again

2/23/02 – Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA)
Indian Affairs as usual

2/23/02 – Colorado Springs Gazette
Norton in a historic bind/ Indian fight may cost $10 billion

2/23/02 – National Journal
Pressure Builds Over Broken Trust

2/22/02 – The Wichita Eagle
Broken promises

2/22/02 – The Denver Post
Indian trust case judge feels ‘duped’

2/22/02 – The Washington Post
Judge Says Officials ‘Duped’ Court Closing Remarks Made in Indian Trust Fund Contempt Trial

2/21/02 – The Associated Press
Judge asks why Interior Secretary Norton shouldn’t be held in contempt in Indian royalties case

2/20/02 – The Daily Oklahoman
Stalled BIA payments leave many hurting

2/18/02 – The Nation
Indian Giving

2/17/02 – WorldNetDaily
Indian trust-fund suit seeks billions

2/14/02 – Tulsa World
Indian trust fund ; Their long national nightmare

2/14/02 – The New York Times
A Computer Shutdown Plays Havoc at Interior

2/14/02 – USA Today
Native Americans could win $10B over dispute

2/14/02 – The Washington Post
Norton Admits Some Indian Trust Records ‘No Longer Exist’

2/14/02 – The Denver Post
Norton claims progress with accounts

2/13/02 – The Associated Press
Interior secretary fights contempt of court allegation

2/13/02 – Pioneer Press
INDIAN LAND TRUSTS: Interior must end delays in fixing system

2/7/02 – The Denver Post
Norton says trust reform to cost hundreds of millions

2/6/02 – The Associated Press
Trust reform will cost hundreds of millions, Norton tells committee

2/3/02 – The Oregonian
A Debt Long Past Due May Redefine Federal-Tribal Relations

2/3/02 – Associated Press
Norton announces new money for American Indian trust fund as she heads off charges that she mismanaged it.

2/3/02 – Washington Post
With a Vulnerable Computer System, Interior Is Cut Off From the Internet.

1/30/02 – USNews.com
Fighting a flawed royalties system

1/25/02 – The Washington Post
Receivership Weighed For Indian Trust Funds; Norton’s Plan for New Bureau Draws Criticism

1/18/02 – The Washington Times
Continuous contempt

1/17/02 – Indianz.com
Interior’s security weaknesses not unique

1/16/02 – The Arizona Republic
Feds are flunking on Indian trust funds

1/16/02 – Indianz.com
Norton effort ‘too little, too late’ for judge

1/16/02 – Las Vegas Review-Journal
Judge sets stage for Norton testimony

1/16/02 – The Denver Post
Ruling deals setback to Norton

1/16/02 – The Associated Press
Court investigator says Interior hasn’t acted to fix Internet problems

1/8/02 – The Washington Post
Interior Halts Indian Payments

1/3/02 – The Los Angeles Times
Popular U.S. Web Sites Remain Shut Access

12/29/01 – The Washington Post
No Trust, No Progress

12/24/01 – Indian Country Today
Contempt trial continues; Top official gives damaging testimony

12/13/01 – The Denver Post
Interior’s bad faith

12/13/01 – Indianz.com
Tribal consultation already a sham

12/10/01 – The Press-Enterprise
Broken Trust

12/5/01 – Indianz.com
Judge orders Interior to cut Internet access

12/5/01 – The Wall Street Journal
Court Finds Indian Trust System Is Vulnerable to Computer Hackers

12/5/01 – The Denver Post
Court-appointed hacker altered Indian accounts

12/5/01 – The Washington Post
Judge Urged to Control Indian Trust Fund

12/5/01 – The Associated Press
Trust Fund Security Flawed

12/4/01 – Indian Country Today
Norton plan a charade

12/3/01 – The Seattle Times
Outrage against Indians

11/30/01 – The Associated Press
Judge postpones interior secretary’s contempt hearing

11/29/01 – Rocky Mountain News
Norton ordered to stand trial

11/29/01 – The Wall Street Journal
Interior Secretary Norton to Face Charges Of Contempt in Indian Trust-Fund Case

11/29/01 – Indianz.com
Norton ordered to stand trial for ‘fraud’

11/29/01 – Las Vegas Review-Journal
Interior’s Norton ordered to stand trial

11/29/01 – The Denver Post
Norton, top aide to stand trial

11/29/01 – The Washington Post
Norton Will Face Contempt Charges

11/28/01 – The Associated Press
Norton, McCaleb ordered to stand trial in Indian trust fund case

11/26/01 – Indian Country Today
Interior splits the difference on trust fund scandal

11/20/01 – Indian Country Today
Trust Matters

11/19/01 – The Associated Press
Former Reagan official to head new trust fund office

11/16/01 – Rocky Mountain News
Norton overhauls trust system

11/16/01 – The Denver Post
Norton seeks 1 person to handle Indian trust funds

11/16/01 – Indianz.com
Bush administration to strip BIA of trust duties

11/16/01 – The Associated Press
Norton Orders Overhaul of Indian Trust

11/16/01 – The Washington Post
Interior Names New Office for Indians’ Trust

11/4/01 – The Denver Post
Like predecessors, Norton off to troubled start Interior leader draws court’s ire on Indian trusts

11/1/01 – Indianz.com
Halloween Costume Ideas

10/31/01 – The Denver Post
‘Contemptuous’ Norton irks judge

10/31/01 – Washington Post
Judge Warns He May Hold Norton, Others in Contempt

10/31/01 – Indianz.com
Interior promises trust fund defense

10/31/01 – Indianz.com
Judge ready to hold Norton in contempt

10/30/01 – The Associated Press
Judge scolds government attorneys for mishandling Indian lawsuit.

10/30/01 – Indianz.com
Trust fund defense team scrapped

10/22/01 – The Washington Post
Indians Want Receiver for Trust Fund

10/21/01 – The Denver Post
Indian trust fund in trouble

10/21/01 – The Denver Post
Indians’ attorney wants Norton jailed

10/18/01 – Indianz.com
The New Smallpox, Part II

10/17/01 – The Denver Post
Norton faulted on Indian trusts

10/17/01 – Indianz.com
Norton blasted on trust fund

10/16/01 – The Associated Press
Top Interior Department attorney pressured managers to support misleading report

10/11/01 – Indianz.com
Trust fund progress ‘stretches credibility’

10/10/01 – Indianz.com
The Case of the Missing Report

10/10/01 – Indianz.com
Memo: Solicitor’s order was ‘intimidating’

10/10/01 – Indianz.com
Trust fund fix at ‘great risk’ of failure

10/2/01 – The Denver Post
Norton appears closer to citation for contempt

10/1/01 – The Associated Press
Court-appointed investigator recommends judge hold Norton in contempt

9/25/01 – The Courier Mail (Australia)
Aborigines urged to reject $8m payout

9/23/01 – The Denver Post
Norton hit over tribal-money inaction

9/20/01 – Indianz.com
Interior infighting hampering trust fund fix

9/18/01 – The Associated Press
New report another blow to government reform of trust fund for Indian lands

9/18/01 – The Washington Post
Indian Trust Reform Still Mired, Watchdog Says Receivership Urged for Interior Program

9/13/01 – Indianz.com
Few dates provided in trust fund blueprint

9/7/01 – Indianz.com
Interior delaying trust reform report

9/4/01 – The Denver Post
Norton’s ‘historic’ dump may haunt her

8/28/01 – Indianz.com
Trust fund holders call for contempt

8/27/01 – The Associated Press
Plaintiffs press judge to hold Norton, other government officials in contempt

8/25/01 – Insight Magazine
Total Lack of Trust

8/24/01 – The New York Times
Peter Maas, Writer Who Chronicled the Mafia, Dies at 72

8/22/01 – The Denver Post
Lawyer urges Interior misconduct probe

8/21/01 – The Seattle Times
300,000 Indians cheated by incompetent feds

8/20/01 – Der Bund
Der Bund (Berne, Switzerland)

8/19/01 – The Denver Post
A tale of deceit, abuse in D.C.

8/17/01 – The Denver Post
No more delays on trust fund

8/17/01 – Indianz.com
Justice plans action for destroyed trust records

8/15/01 – The Associated Press
Treasury inquiry finds no wrongdoing in destruction of Indian affairs documents

8/15/01 – The Denver Post
Discipline records on trusts unsealed

8/15/01 – Chicago Tribune
U.S. agency admits errors in Indian case; Records destroyed on cash payouts

8/15/01 – The Wall Street Journal
Treasury Department Retrained Lawyers After Rubin Was Cited in Case, Papers Say

8/15/01 – Indianz.com
Light punishment for destroyed trust fund records

8/10/01 – The Wall Street Journal
Babbitt Misled Judge About New System For
Indian Trust Funds, Report Alleges

8/10/01 – Indianz.com
Court report criticizes trust fund software

8/10/01 – The Washington Post
Interior Dept. Misled Court On Reforms, Report Says

8/9/01 – The Associated Press
Computer system designed to track Indian money may not be salvageable

8/7/01 – Indianz.com
Trust fund holders want trial against Bush officials

7/30/01 – The Associated Press
Government criticized for erasing e-mail records
in Indian trust fund case

7/24/01 – Indianz.com
Attempt to limit trust fund probe rejected

7/24/01 – The Washington Post
At BIA, Seeking More For Tribes to Bet On

7/17/01 – Indian Country Today
Are Interior and Treasury corralled at long last?

7/13/01 – The Denver Post
Norton rebuked for delays with Indian trust accounts

7/12/01 – DiversityInc.com
U.S. Makes No Progress In Replacing
American Indians’ Trust Fund

7/12/01 – The Washington Post
Interior Faulted on Indian Trusts

7/12/01 – indianz.com
Trust fund account holders call for jail time

7/12/01 – indianz.com
Norton slammed by trust fund monitor

7/11/01 – The Associated Press
No progress in reconstructing Indian trust fund, report says

6/10/01 – The Sunday Oklahoman
Broken Trust: Can Neal McCaleb Overhaul the BIA?

6/5/01 – The Denver Post
Appeal nixed on Indians’ trust win Interior, Treasury must resolve

6/5/01 – The Associated Press
Government won’t challenge ruling in Indian lawsuit

6/5/01 – The Washington Post
U.S. Bows to Indian Trust Ruling

6/5/01 – The Denver Post
Fix Indian trust fund mess

5/29/01 – Harvard Crimson
American Indians To Protest Rubin

5/18/01 – The Associated Press
Judge asked to hold Norton in contempt in Indian trust lawsuit

5/1/01 – California Lawyer Magazine
The Billion Dollar Payback

4/30/01 – The New York Times
Redeeming a Historic Trust

4/19/01 – The Denver Post
Indians find powerful ally

4/17/01 – The Denver Post
Judge appoints 2nd watchdog for Indians’ trust accounts

4/17/01 – The Washington Post
Court Appoints Monitor For Indian Trust Reform

4/16/01 – The Associated Press
Court appoints monitor to oversee Indian trust reform

4/11/01 – The Washington Post
Norton Hit on Indian Trust Funds

4/9/01 – Barron’s
Native Americans seek billions they say Uncle Sam

3/22/01 – The Washington Post
Panel Criticizes Indian Trust Plan House Members Worry U.S. Won’t Fully Account for Assets

3/21/01 – The Denver Post
Gale Norton’s monster is at the gates

3/19/01 – Scripps Howard News Service
American Indians deserve compensation

3/19/01 – The Washington Post
Effort to Fix Indian Trust Funds ‘Imploding,’ Memo Says

3/16/01 – The Associated Press
Official: Account Reform Is Failing

3/14/01 – The Washington Times
Hasty Pudding?

3/5/01 – The Associated Press
BIA staffer still at home a year after testifying

3/1/01 – Seattle Times Editorial
Settle breach of trust with Native Americans

2/27/01 – Denver Post Editorial
No more excuses

2/26/01 – The Washington Post
Indians Win Trust Fund Appeal; Plaintiffs Alleging Federal Neglect
May Seek Up to $10 Billion

2/26/01 – The Denver Post
Appeals court backs ruling for Indians on trust accounts

2/23/01 – The Associated Press
Appeals court upholds judge’s requiring accounting of Indian funds

2/22/01 – The Denver Post
Babbitt may face penalties in suit on Indian trusts

2/22/01 – The Washington Post
Retaliation Alleged at Interior; Special Master Says Whistle-Blower in Indian Case Punished

2/21/01 – The Associated Press
Court-appointed investigator recommends contempt trial for officials

2/21/01 – The Denver Post
Making good on a promise

2/19/01 – The Associated Press
Lead Plaintiff in Indian Lawsuit Speaks at University of Montana

2/16/01 – The Denver Post
Indian trust papers ruined, letters indicate

2/15/01 – The Denver Post
Ex-boss details abuse of BIA whistle-blower

2/14/01 – The Associated Press
Former manager says he was ordered to retaliate against whistleblower

2/13/01 – Dow Jones Newswires
Govt Hindering Probe Of US Indian Money

2/13/01 – The Associated Press
Court official says government lawyers hinder his investigations

2/13/01 – The Denver Post
Special Master Blasts Government Lawyers.

2/6/01 – Oklahoma Indian Times
After five years of delay, will the Bush Administration treat the Trust Accounts lawsuit any differently?

1/25/01 – The Denver Post
Indians rip Babbitt’s late effort

1/25/01 – The Washington Post
Review of Indian Trusts Criticized

1/24/01 – The Associated Press
Gov’t Mismanaged Indian Accounts

1/17/01 – The Denver Post
More Indian trust documents missing

12/2/00 – The Denver Post
Indians want special master for trust suit

12/1/00 – The Associated Press
Indians’ lawyers say government officials lied in trial over trust accounts

11/27/00 – Barron’s
Administration hangs tough on Indian suit

11/19/00 – The Denver Post
Hopes dim for settlement of Indian trust lawsuit

11/14/00 – The Denver Post
Treasury report on Indian trusts sought

11/2/00 – The Associated Press
Government asks for secrecy on its lawyers’ role in concealing of document shredding

10/26/00 – The Associated Press
Congress presses for potential multi-billion-dollar settlement of Indian trust fund suit

10/22/00 – The Denver Post
Congress: Settle Indian trust case

10/16/00 – Barron’s
Indian Fund Settlement Seen Biggest Since S&L; Bailout

10/4/00 – Indian Country Today
Interior-BIA Have Long Way To Go To Put Things Right

9/28/00 – The Washington Post
BIA Farewell Not Fond for Everyone

9/27/00 – Indian Country Today
Where Gover is Wrong

9/19/00 – The Washington Times
Who’s in Contempt?

9/18/00 – The Associated Press
Congressional investigators say Interior makes progress with Indian accounting system

9/15/00 – The Associated Press
Interior Department violated court orders by deleting e-mail, lawyers say

9/12/00 – The Denver Post
Elouise Cobell, Judge Lamberth are targets of a “disrepectful” BIA parody

9/6/00 – The Denver Post
Judges Question Federal Appeal to Block Indian-Trust Ruling

9/6/00 – The Washington Post
U.S. Fights Ruling on Indians’ Funds

9/4/00 – The Denver Post
Cobell v. Babbitt: Denver Profile

8/17/00 – The Washington Post
Worker Alleges Retaliation

8/17/00 – The Wall Street Journal
Indians Again Ask Federal Judge to Cite Interior Secretary Babbitt for Contempt

8/17/00 – The Denver Post
Group Seeks Jail for Babbitt in Whistleblower Case

8/13/00 – The Denver Post
Special Report: Indians Keep up Trust Fund Pressure

9/1/99 – ABA Journal
Another Broken Trust

– Ford Foundation
Broken Trust: A Report from Blackfeet Country