Elouise Cobell answers. . sort of

In another Indian Country today article, Elouise Cobell explains that the receipts are forthcoming. Well this is welcome news to the fans of transparency. Maybe there is an explanation for the 15 million she's seeking to get from this class action lawsuit. But there's one thing that keeps bugging anyone who would look at part of what Blackfeet Reservation Development Fund does.

They fundraise. They raise funds. ( "We paid for it because it RAISED FUNDS for this purpose") There are literally millions being raised by them by grants or personal donations that went toward whatever it is that they do. So the 15 million that she will receive--will they go toward reimbursing whoever it was that DONATED funds toward her efforts? At this point it looks like fancy accounting footwork:

Here's 15 dollars now go any buy anything you want at the store.
And 14 years later, now we're going to "reimburse" her for whatever she bought at the store?
(in essence then she gets paid twice: once from the donor and then once from us)

Make us believers. Turn the tides around with at least some sort of explanation as to what is happening in light of what isn't listed on the tax returns.

The accounting firms that she says she had working on this and the expert witnesses are nowhere to be found on many years of tax returns for this organization. Where are the bills for them? They show up in 2008 (the bills to any contractors hired by this grass roots organization). Now to be fair, maybe before 2002 they were there. Guess we'll have to look at those tax returns when she presents them.

Examine the tax returns for the Blackfeet Reservation Development Fund at the NCCS site and see if you come up with different opinions as to what she reported as contractors paid for by her organization. Otherwise, this doesn't look very believable. Maybe it is, but if receipts don't match up with the tax returns already available for public view, I would say that the overseeing court has to have some questions answered before they rule for the 15 million.