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Home > News > Week in Review > Review Printer friendly version The Week in Review ending September 21 WEEK IN REVIEW: Secretary Gale Norton at Indian economic summit. File Photo © NSM. Missed the week's stories? Get a complete listing here. Want In The Hoop's list of the week's Winners and Losers? Wait no more. Norton held in contempt for trust fund After seven months of deliberations, a federal judge this week finally delivered his decision on the Bush administration's trust fund contempt trial. It was a big one. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth held Secretary of Interior Gale Norton and Indian affairs aide Neal McCaleb in civil contempt for providing misleading information about efforts to fix the broken Indian trust. A 267-page ruling blasted the pair for committing a fraud on the court for actions that occurred under their watch and that of their predecessors. The decision found misconduct on behalf of attorneys handling the case too. Lamberth didn't appoint a receiver over the Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust, a key request of the Cobell plaintiffs. But he paved the way for such an appointment by rejecting the government's arguments against additional court oversight. Lamberth moved the case along in other ways as well. He told Norton and the plaintiffs to start preparing for a trial on an historical accounting owed to more than 500,000 Indian account holders. The proceedings, provided there is no delay, will begin next summer. More immediately, Lamberth directed a court investigator to start investigating potential contempt citations against nearly 50 government past and present officials. He also set a third contempt trial for alleged retaliation against a Bureau of Indian Affairs employee who pointed out problems with a computer accounting system that has never worked. Finally, Lamberth affirmed the status of the trust fund monitor, who was attacked by Deputy Secretary J. Steven Griles -- who all but lied in a court declaration -- and other Bush appointees as biased. Court monitor Joseph S. Kieffer was elevated to the status of a "special master-monitor" with greater investigatory powers at the Department of Interior. Get the Story: Norton 'bragged' about progress on trust (9/16) Norton found in contempt for trust fund (9/17) Judge holds Norton in contempt (9/17) Rahall: End the trust fund charade (9/17) Norton 'unfit' to manage Indian trust (9/18) Griles nearly perjured himself (9/18) Congress responds to contempt (9/18) Lamberth makes ruling on trust (9/18) Editorial: Send Norton the liar to jail (9/18) Editorial: Norton deserves rebuke (9/18) Editorial: Norton is 'disgrace' (9/18) Slonaker feels vindicated by ruling (9/18) Norton's contempt worries not over (9/19) Editorial: Norton has made no reforms (9/19) Column: Norton, aides like 'kids' on trust (9/19) Norton cited for Indian trust 'fraud' (9/19) Norton's denials ring hollow (9/20) McCaleb blames trust fund on Babbitt (9/20) Editorial: Norton's trust boondoggle (9/20) Editorial: Norton 'toss in the towel' (9/20) more stories There's still more to read in the recap of the top stories. Home | Arts & Entertainment | Business | Canada | Cobell Lawsuit | Education | Environment | Federal Recognition | Federal Register | Forum | Health | Humor | Indian Gaming | Indian Trust | Jack Abramoff Scandal | Jobs & Notices | Law | National | News | Opinion | Politics | Sports | Technology | World Indianz.Com Terms of Service | Indianz.Com Privacy Policy About Indianz.Com | Advertise on Indianz.Com Indianz.Com is a product of Noble Savage Media, LLC and Ho-Chunk, Inc.