From the National Law Journal (h/t to Mike):
Senior administration officials on Wednesday defended the proposed $1.4 billion settlement to resolve a long-running Indian trust dispute, telling skeptical members of a House committee that the resolution, which requires congressional authorization, is fair and appropriate.
Members of the House Natural Resources Committee questioned Thomas Perrelli, the associate attorney general, and David Hayes, deputy secretary for the Interior Department, about the settlement to resolve the lawsuit that Elouise Cobell filed in 1996 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Lead class member Cobell, represented by D.C. solo practitioner Dennis Gingold and a team of Kilpatrick Stockton lawyers from Washington and Atlanta, is seeking an historical accounting of billions of dollars the federal government has held in trust for American Indians. The suit alleges mismanagement in the collection and distribution of money owed to Indians stemming from the exploitation of natural resources on their land by private parties.
On Wednesday, several members of the House committee questioned whether the dollar amount of the suit is sufficient to settle the claims. The members also are trying to wrap their heads around the proposed range of attorney fees in the case — $50 million to $100 million. Obama administration officials, including Attorney General Eric Holder Jr., announced the settlement in December at a press conference at the Interior Department.
Turtle Talk 