FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department has taken the stance that Alaska Native corporations are eligible for a share of $8 billion in coronavirus relief funding for tribes.
The position outlined in court documents Thursday sets the stage for a court battle.
More than a dozen tribes have sued the federal government to try to keep the money out of the hands of the corporations.
They contend it should go only to tribes that have a government-to-government relationship with the United States. The Treasury Department says a plain reading of the CARES Act makes the corporations eligible.
None of the funding for tribes has been distributed.
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