White House press secretary Robert Gibbs mentioned the Indian trust fund lawsuit at a briefing on Monday but appears to have described it incorrectly.

Gibbs brought up the case when asked about a settlement that the Obama administration reached with African-American farmers who experienced discrimination at the Department of Agriculture. Native American farmers have filed a similar lawsuit but it's not the same as Cobell, which affects trust funds at the Interior Department and the Treasury Department.

"This is a lawsuit that dates back to the late 1990s, that also includes -- there’s a separate case, the Cobell case, that includes Native Americans, who sought and were -- the case was settled for discrimination against the Department of Agriculture dating back many years," Gibbs said yesterday.

The administration reached a settlement with the Cobell plaintiffs but Congress has yet to authorize it. Negotiations are underway in the Indian farmers case, known as Keepseagle.

Relevant Documents:
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs (May 17, 2010

Relevant Documents:
Agreement | Press Release | Q&A | Audio

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