The Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON — A top Interior Department official said he was forced to quit Tuesday because he challenged the department’s claims that it is repairing a historically mismanaged trust fund for American Indians.
Special Trustee Thomas Slonaker, whose position was created by Congress to provide independent oversight for the overhaul of the fund and to report back to lawmakers, submitted his resignation Tuesday to Interior Secretary Gale Norton.
“I was given the choice of resigning or being fired,” Mr. Slonaker said in an interview. “Things have not been going well in terms of trust reform, but it’s not always the message they want to hear.”
Mr. Slonaker has clashed with Ms. Norton and department officials, offering testimony in court and before Congress that contradicted assertions of progress toward fixing the century-old trust fund designed to manage oil, gas, mining and timber royalties from Indian land.
A history of mismanagement has resulted in the loss of an unknown amount of money. Attorneys for Indians who sued the government say at least $10 billion is owed to more than 300,000 Indian landowners.
Last week, White House counsel and Justice Department attorneys urged Mr. Slonaker not to submit prepared testimony to a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing in which he challenged the department’s plans to account for lost Indian money.
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