Gop Fires Back On Land Dispute

Republican Sen. Larry Craig and GOP Congressman Helen Chenoweth are denying allegations that they tried to illegally influence the outcome of a Nez Perce Reservation land dispute between tribal and non-tribal members.

And spokesmen for both accused the Lewiston attorney making the charge of trying to racially inflame the dispute - an accusation shot back at them by Lewiston attorney Robert McCarthy, who represents the tribal members.

“This is just proof positive that you can say anything in America you want with regard to the facts,” Craig chief of staff, Greg Casey, said.

McCarthy claims Craig and Chenoweth sought special consideration for the non-tribal members in the land dispute from Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt without notifying him as the law requires. He made the same charge last month against the Washington, D.C., firm representing the non-Indians.

But Casey and Bershers maintained the two lawmakers have not chosen sides and have only sought to ensure that all parties receive due process.

The dispute involves 20 acres of land on the northcentral Idaho reservation that the non-Indians claimed to own until a survey mistake was uncovered, suggesting that the land belonged to tribal members.

Babbitt is currently reviewing the administrative decision to uphold the tribal claim.

In a letter to Babbitt, in which he urged the interior secretary to reject the appeals, McCarthy claimed Chenoweth and Craig “have made racially offensive public statements about saving the white race” and that Craig has a conflict because he is a board member for the Defenders of Property Rights group that is representing the non-Indians in the case.

He specifically charged Chenoweth with having characterized the land dispute “as a Native American attack on white property rights.”

Bershers flatly denied the accusations.

“This guy is constantly trying to scream racism,” she said. “She has never made any such statements.”