Interior attorney settles whistleblower case

Thursday, February 28, 2008  

An Interior Department attorney who criticized trust management practices in Palm Springs, California, reached a settlement with the government.

Robert McCarthy, a field solicitor, will be allowed to resign instead of be fired. He had been accused of leaking confidential trust data to the media.

McCarthy testified in the Cobell trust fund trial about lapses in trust accounting practices at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. A federal judge recently ruled it was "impossible" to conduct an historical accounting of the trust.

Get the Story:
Indian trust fund whistleblower allowed to resign (The Oklahoman 2/27)
pwpwd
Attorney, Interior reach settlement (The Palm Springs Desert Sun 2/27)
Press Release: SETTLEMENT IN WHISTLEBLOWER CASE OF INTERIOR LAWYER (PEER 2/26)

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

BIA faulted for trust management in Palm Springs (10/24)
BIA agency lacks accounting for millions in trust (09/25)
Audit finds Indian trust management problems (9/24)
BIA office in Palm Springs criticized by landowners (4/11)
BIA office in Palm Springs under investigation (4/10)