An accounting firm that won $6.6 million in work from the Office of Special Trustee says its close relationship with senior officials didn't affect the contracting process.
Executives from Chavarria, Dunne & Lamey of New Mexico frequently socialized with top OST officials. The firm's contract kept getting extended without opening it to competition, the Interior Department's Inspector General said in a report.
"We believe that OST management has acted appropriately and that the concern of 'an appearance of preferential treatment' for CD&L is subjective and unsubstantiated," the firm said in a statement provided to the Associated Press.
Special Trustee Ross Swimmer ordered Donna Erwin and brothers Doug and Jeff Lords to undergo ethics training. The report said they failed to keep at "arms length" from the firm.
Get the Story:
Investigation Cites Indian Trust Officials
(AP 7/26)
pwpwd
Inspector General Report:
Allegations
Concerning Senior Officials of the Office of Special Trustee for American
Indians (May 2005)
Relevant Links:
Office of Special Trustee - http://www.ost.doi.gov
Chavarria,
Dunne & Lamey - http://www.cdlcpas.com
Related Stories:
OST contract tied to favors to top officials
(7/25)
OST officials awarded
$6.6M contract to friends (7/24)
Tribes,
states weigh lawsuits against oil companies (5/8)
Norton denies fraud or major problem with trust
(3/29)
GAO report warns of billions in
lost oil, gas royalties (3/29)
Tribes,
states object to Interior's lack of audits (03/01)
Pombo starts investigation of DOI royalty program
(2/16)
Bush, Democrats oppose $7B
royalty giveaway (2/15)
Interior to give
away $7B in oil and gas royalties (2/14)
Oil companies fall behind on royalty payments
(2/10)
DOI allows underpayment of
natural gas royalties (01/24)
Editorial:
Interior's endless charade on Indian trust (06/10)
OST fares no better under Ross Swimmer's leadership
(6/7)
Bush administration won't give up
fight on Cobell (03/18)
McCain weighs
GAO probe of Indian trust debacle (03/10)
Norton won't testify on trust fund retaliation
(2/28)
Lamberth takes action on Cobell
trust lawsuit (2/24)
Bush official won't
accept claims of trust mismanagement (02/17)
Swimmer admits some Navajo appraisals too low
(12/13)
DOI was warned on appraisals of
Navajo lands (12/6)
Lamberth critical of
Norton's 'bad faith' on trust fund (10/25)
Interior denies attempt to halt trust fund
payments (10/05)
Bush administration
challenges trust fund ruling (09/16)
Appeals court takes on Cobell trust fund case
(9/15)
Bush administration calls for end
to Cobell case (04/09)
Trust fund
special master alleges government fraud (04/07)
Cobell trust fund suit mediators announced
(4/6)
Navajo landowners question BIA
agreement with company (10/21)
Retaliation alleged in firing of trust fund
manager (09/18)
Court report finds
undervaluation of Navajo lands (08/21)
Navajo trust fund manager targeted in
internal probe (07/15)
DOI
employees falsified Navajo trust data (06/11)
Navajo leaders criticize upheaval at
trust fund office (05/09)
Stay Connected
Contact Us
indianz@indianz.com202 630 8439 (THEZ)
Search
Top Stories
Trending in News
1 Tribes rush to respond to new coronavirus emergency created by Trump administration
2 'At this rate the entire tribe will be extinct': Zuni Pueblo sees COVID-19 cases double as first death is confirmed
3 Arne Vainio: 'A great sickness has been visited upon us as human beings'
4 Arne Vainio: Zoongide'iwin is the Ojibwe word for courage
5 Cayuga Nation's division leads to a 'human rights catastrophe'
2 'At this rate the entire tribe will be extinct': Zuni Pueblo sees COVID-19 cases double as first death is confirmed
3 Arne Vainio: 'A great sickness has been visited upon us as human beings'
4 Arne Vainio: Zoongide'iwin is the Ojibwe word for courage
5 Cayuga Nation's division leads to a 'human rights catastrophe'
More Stories
Native soldier from Michigan killed on duty in Iraq County seeks better relations with Cow Creek Band
News Archive
2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000