Wampum

Otherwise known as dealing with the Interior Department on trust accounting.

From Indianz.com:

Judge presses Interior on historical accounting plan
Tuesday, May 15, 2007 Filed Under: Cobell

The federal judge handling the Indian trust fund case pushed the Bush administration on Monday to finalize its historical accounting plan, citing delays that could hinder an upcoming trial.

During a two-hour-plus hearing in Washington, D.C., Judge James Robertson said he was promised the plan over a month ago. But a Department of Justice lawyer wasn't able to confirm an exact release date.

"Come on guys, this has been a long time coming," Robertson said. "What's the holdup?"

Robertson contemplated an order to force the Interior Department to finalize the plan but resisted the idea in hopes of avoiding the legal acrimony that has characterized the 11-year-old Cobell case. "I don't want any more contempt citations," he said. "I don't want any more sanctions."

With an October 10 trial on the historical accounting approaching, however, the judge said swift action is crucial. "I can't wait till September for it," Robertson said. "It seems to me the plan itself will be subject to [some] challenge."

Pressed on the matter, Robert E. Kirschman of the Department of Justice said the plan will be released in "coming weeks," perhaps as early as May 31. He said it was still being reviewed by the Interior Department, whose Office of Historical Trust Accounting is handling the effort to tell Indian beneficiaries how much they are owed for the use of their land.

The goal of Interior and Justice has always been to delay, delay, delay, as they know they, and their industry backers, are screwed if any real accounting takes place. It drove the relatively mellow Judge Royce Lamberth over the edge, leading to his removal from the case. I predict the same will happen with Robertson.