by Bill McAllister
Denver Post Washington Bureau Chief
The Denver Post
WASHINGTON – Interior Secretary Gale Norton
pleaded with a federal judge Wednesday to allow her to continue unraveling
thousands of trust accounts she manages for American Indians, insisting she
finally is resolving an issue that has bedeviled successive administrations.
Lawyers for a group of Indians immediately challenged her assessment,
pointing out that, despite years of study, the Interior Department has yet
to certify the balances in any of the more than 350,000 trust accounts as
accurate.
U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth also expressed concern about some of
Norton’s actions as trustee, but Norton replied she was seriously committed
to resolving the account balances and had learned from the many mistakes
that have plagued the issue since the first account was established in 1887.
“We’re motivated to get this problem solved,” Norton told the judge. “I
can’t speak for the past secretary, but we’re in a better position.”
Lamberth, who reminded Norton he had labeled some of her public statements
on the accounts “clearly contemptuous,” did not rule Wednesday on whether
her department’s acknowledged foot-dragging in the case constitutes
contempt. If he does find her in contempt, she could be fined.
He has previously held three Clinton administration officials in contempt in
the same case, including former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt.
During Norton’s nearly four hours of testimony, the judge reminded the
former Colorado attorney general that he had heard the same promises of
quick action from the previous administration and her own deputy, J. Steven
Griles.
“I understand your frustration,” Norton responded, arguing that she had put
“an excellent team” in place to resolve the problems and was committed to
creating a “political consensus” that would end the problem.
Former Denver lawyer Dennis Gingold, who represents the Indians, disputed
her assessment. “That’s all tomorrow,” he said. “You have no systems working
today.”
The Indians want the accounts placed under a court-appointed receiver.
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