Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), a member of the Chickasaw Nation, blasted the Bush administration for cutting the Bureau of Indian Affairs budget and blaming it on the Cobell trust fund lawsuit.

Cole said it was "outrageous" for the Interior Department to cut a total of $3 million from the BIA, The Oklahoman reported. He said the administration is punishing tribes.

In a letter to tribal leaders, associate Interior deputy secretary said the money had to be diverted in order to pay attorney's fees in the Cobell lawsuit. He didn't say the request for fees had been pending for more than a year and covers the years 1996 through 2001, when the government was held in contempt of court and in breach of trust.

Get the Story:
Lawmaker opposes use of tribal funds (The Oklahoman 2/4)
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Interior Pays Lawyers With Indian Funds (AP 2/5)
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Jim Cason Letter:
Dear Tribal Leader (January 26, 2006)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm

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