FROM THE ARCHIVE
URL: https://www.indianz.com/News/archive/001590.asp
Special master Balaran resigns from Cobell lawsuit
Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Special master Alan Balaran has resigned from the Indian trust fund lawsuit, citing the Department of Interior's ongoing attempts to disqualify him. In a three-page letter to U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, Balaran said his resignation was effective immediately. "This is an extraordinarily important case," he wrote yesterday. "I have been privileged to work on it." "For the past several months, however, my efforts have been undermined by a series of motions lodged by the Department of the Interior," he added, "seeking my disqualification." Balaran said the department stepped up its campaign to disqualify him just as he was beginning to uncover 'systemic" failures in the management of individual Indian trust assets. He cited a crucial visit Bureau of Indian Affairs office on the Navajo Nation, where an appraiser admitted to assigning lower values to Navajo-owned land. The visit later became the subject of a highly critical report. "This report was just the beginning," he wrote. "I soon began to uncover evidence that Interior was putting the interests of private energy companies ahead of the interests of individual Indian beneficiaries." Lamberth accepted Balaran's resignation "with profound regret" in an order signed today. Relevant Documents:
Special Master Letter | Judge Lamberth Order 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
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust Related Stories:
Lamberth defends special master against attack (03/16)
DOI's Internet connection shut down for third time (03/16)
Appeals court hearing Cobell disqualification dispute (03/15)
Lamberth orders disclosure of computer reports (01/23)
Court investigator slams Interior's trust fund report (04/22)
Norton gets another day in court (4/22)
Court looks into TAAMS 'concealment' (11/07)
Court probes Norton's trust fund report (10/11)
Norton's witness on TAAMS does damage (09/23)
Top trust reform official comes under fire (05/21)
Feisty memos at heart of trust reform feud (05/20)
On trust, the problems remain the same (05/13)
A super assistant secretary, in all but name (05/03)
Memo sounded early warning on TAAMS (2/4)
Trust system takes center stage in contempt (2/1)
Trust reform update sheds some light (1/22)
Norton: Trust reform blueprint 'obsolete' (1/18)
Under watch of Swimmer, TAAMS halted (1/18)
Norton signs trust reform update (1/17)
Witness testifies against software corruption (1/15)
TAAMS: The Titanic Failure (12/20)
TAAMS failure traced to promoted manager (12/20)
Norton ordered to submit trust fund report (12/18)
Official: Trust fund fix at 'great risk' of failure (10/10)
Memo: Solicitor's order was 'intimidating' (10/10)
Interior delaying trust reform report (9/6)
Copyright Indianz.Com
URL: https://www.indianz.com/News/archive/001590.asp
Special master Balaran resigns from Cobell lawsuit
Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Special master Alan Balaran has resigned from the Indian trust fund lawsuit, citing the Department of Interior's ongoing attempts to disqualify him. In a three-page letter to U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, Balaran said his resignation was effective immediately. "This is an extraordinarily important case," he wrote yesterday. "I have been privileged to work on it." "For the past several months, however, my efforts have been undermined by a series of motions lodged by the Department of the Interior," he added, "seeking my disqualification." Balaran said the department stepped up its campaign to disqualify him just as he was beginning to uncover 'systemic" failures in the management of individual Indian trust assets. He cited a crucial visit Bureau of Indian Affairs office on the Navajo Nation, where an appraiser admitted to assigning lower values to Navajo-owned land. The visit later became the subject of a highly critical report. "This report was just the beginning," he wrote. "I soon began to uncover evidence that Interior was putting the interests of private energy companies ahead of the interests of individual Indian beneficiaries." Lamberth accepted Balaran's resignation "with profound regret" in an order signed today. Relevant Documents:
Special Master Letter | Judge Lamberth Order 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
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust Related Stories:
Lamberth defends special master against attack (03/16)
DOI's Internet connection shut down for third time (03/16)
Appeals court hearing Cobell disqualification dispute (03/15)
Lamberth orders disclosure of computer reports (01/23)
Court investigator slams Interior's trust fund report (04/22)
Norton gets another day in court (4/22)
Court looks into TAAMS 'concealment' (11/07)
Court probes Norton's trust fund report (10/11)
Norton's witness on TAAMS does damage (09/23)
Top trust reform official comes under fire (05/21)
Feisty memos at heart of trust reform feud (05/20)
On trust, the problems remain the same (05/13)
A super assistant secretary, in all but name (05/03)
Memo sounded early warning on TAAMS (2/4)
Trust system takes center stage in contempt (2/1)
Trust reform update sheds some light (1/22)
Norton: Trust reform blueprint 'obsolete' (1/18)
Under watch of Swimmer, TAAMS halted (1/18)
Norton signs trust reform update (1/17)
Witness testifies against software corruption (1/15)
TAAMS: The Titanic Failure (12/20)
TAAMS failure traced to promoted manager (12/20)
Norton ordered to submit trust fund report (12/18)
Official: Trust fund fix at 'great risk' of failure (10/10)
Memo: Solicitor's order was 'intimidating' (10/10)
Interior delaying trust reform report (9/6)
Copyright Indianz.Com