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MAY 18, 2001

For the third time since she has entered office, the plaintiffs in the trust fund lawsuit have asked a federal judge to consider holding Secretary of Interior Gale Norton in contempt of court.

The charges this time center around alleged security failures at the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Office of Information Resources Management. Located in Virginia, the court-appointed special master in the case has criticized the office for failing to adhere to basic security measures.

The office was also the subject of a highly controversial move from Albuquerque last year. The office is known as the information data center of the BIA. It also issues checks to an estimated 300,000 American Indian trust fund account holders.

Relevant Links:
Trust Management Improvement Project - http://www.doi.gov/bia/trust/tmip.htm
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com

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