Cobell v. Norton

The federal government managed over 300,000 Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust accounts under the Indian Reorganization Act, but could not properly account for the funds it held; Cobell and other account holders (plaintiffs) sued the Secretary of the Interior and other officials (defendants) demanding a full accounting, based on both the government's general trust fiduciary duty and duties under the Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act. The district court ordered an accounting, and the government appealed, arguing the Reform Act did not require one and that its interpretation of the statute deserved Chevron deference.