WASHINGTON – Lawyers for the Indian plaintiffs in the Cobell settlement have taken to court to argue that the many millions they are scheduled to receive is too little, but they’ll take it if they can get it.
The settlement, which provides $1.5 billion to individual Indians to resolve the Interior Department’s mismanagement of their royalties for decades, outlines a cap of nearly $100 million to settle lawyers’ fees. It was negotiated by the Obama administration, and must be approved by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan to become reality.
Some Indians with a stake in the case have argued that the amount set aside for attorneys is far too great, especially considering that many class members – those who actually have suffered due to Interior’s negligence – would receive less than $2,000 under the plan.
January 04, 2011
