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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2003

The suspended director of the Department of Interior office that handles leases for Navajo tribal members is being made a "scapegoat" for the government's trust fund mismanagement, a Navajo leader said.

Kevin Gambrell was placed on administrative leave with pay last month. Calvert Garcia, president of the Navajo Nageezi Chapter, said he was ousted for blowing the whistle on the Minerals Management Service, which is responsible for collecting $6 billion in royalties and fees for minerals produced from federal and Indian lands.

Interior investigators reviewed MMS audits of Navajo leases and found that MMS auditors fabricated trust data. One employee was given a cash award for "creativity" before being censured.

Get the Story:
Probe: Feds fabricated documents in Navajo trust case (The Farmington Daily Times 6/18)

Relevant Documents:
Audit of the Minerals Management Service Audit Offices (March 2003) | Special Master Letter (June 6, 2003)

Relevant Links:
Minerals Management Service - http://www.mms.gov
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com

Related Stories:
Navajo leaders criticize upheaval at trust fund office (05/09)
DOI removes director of Navajo trust fund office (05/07)
Norton said to muzzle employees on trust (02/14)