U.S. Judge Finds Rubin, Babbitt in Contempt
An angry federal judge on Monday found Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin in contempt for failing to comply with his orders to produce records of American Indian trust funds.
The contempt citation against two of President Clinton’s most prominent Cabinet members stems from a civil lawsuit filed in 1996 by five American Indians, claiming the federal government mismanaged billions of dollars in trust funds.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth found “clear and convincing evidence” that Babbitt, Rubin and Assistant Interior Secretary Kevin Gover were in contempt for disobeying two of his earlier orders requiring that the documents be produced.
“The federal government . . . engaged in a shocking pattern of deception of the court,” Lamberth said in a 76-page ruling.
In a joint statement, the Interior, Treasury and Justice departments said they “deeply regret” the mistakes they made in the case, and noted they already have apologized in open court to the judge.
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