FROM THE ARCHIVE
Norton drops objections amid threat from judge
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2001 Faced with a threat of a full-blown "circus," attorneys for Secretary of Interior Gale Norton on Thursday dropped their objections to a series of scathing court reports that have formed the basis for her contempt trial underway in federal court. Bringing a temporary halt to the proceedings on their ninth day, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Nagle made the surprise offer after U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth threatened to call in 39 present and former government officials, attorneys and senior management to testify before a court investigator. Worried about the pact of the trial, Lamberth said he was considering the harsh move because of the government's challenges. But after "extensive discussion" on the issue, Nagle said those depositions weren't necessary. And perhaps, neither were any more live witnesses, he said, as he agreed to accept the reports of court monitor Joseph S. Kieffer III without question. Lamberth did so, taking into evidence the five documents Kieffer has authored since he was appointed to his post in April. But he also agreed to allow attorneys representing 300,000 American Indian beneficiaries to call additional witnesses in order to form a "cumulative" record on five contempt charges. Those witnesses include:
- Daryl White, the Chief Information Officer
- John Snyder, an employee of White
- Tom Slonaker, the Special Trustee for American Indians
- Bruce Babbitt, former Secretary of Interior
- Anne Shields, former Chief of Staff to Babbitt
- David Shuey, a Department of Justice attorney
- Ed Cohen, former Interior Solicitor
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com Related Stories:
Norton drops objections to court monitor (12/20)
TAAMS: The Titanic Failure (12/20)
Judge questions role in trust fund 'circus' (12/20)
TAAMS failure traced to promoted manager (12/20)
Ruling on court monitor put off (12/20)
Judge rebuffs Norton challenge (12/17)
Week two of trial continues today (12/17)
History of neglect drives trust case (12/17)
Judge eager for Norton testimony (12/13)
Editorial: Bad faith, wasted dollars (12/13)
Confusion, conflict detailed at Interior (12/12)
Exclusive: Trust reform assessment (12/12)
Lamberth pokes fun at government (12/12)
EDS trust reform report online (12/12)
Coverage of Contempt Trial, Day 2 (12/12)
Contempt trial continues (12/11)
Contested reports focus of contempt trial (12/11)
The Trial: Witnesses to Contempt (12/11)
Coverage of Contempt Trial, Day 1 (12/11)
Norton contempt trial opens (12/10)
Norton attacks court monitor (12/10)
Norton set for contempt trial (12/10)
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