DOJ opposes incentive payment for Cobell and named plaintiffs

Wednesday, March 2, 2011  

The Department of Justice is asking a federal judge to cut down the incentive payments for Elouise Cobell and the other named plaintiffs in the Indian trust fund lawsuit.

Cobell and three named plaintiffs have asked for $2.5 million in incentive payments and another $10.5 million to cover costs associated with pursuing the lawsuit. Government attorneys say the request is too large.

“Even sundry items like bottled water and cleaning supplies creep into their unwieldy and unjustified tally of expenses,” DOJ lawyers said in a court filing, The Blog of Legal Times reported.

The payments to Cobell and the named plaintiffs would be in addition to the $223 million that the attorneys are seeking for their work on the case. The final decision rests with Judge Thomas Hogan.

Get the Story:
DOJ Urges Judge to Grant 'Modest' Incentive Award in Cobell Case (The Blog of Legal Times 3/1)

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