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Published December 04, 2009, 07:59 AM

Question arises over trust fund

A North Dakota veterans group and state Treasurer Kelly Schmidt are looking to Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem for clarification on the handling of some money in the Veterans Post War Trust Fund. The Administrative Committee on Veterans Affairs wants to use $450,000 that it considers a reserve fund for grants to help needy veterans with such items as eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures.

BISMARCK (AP) — A North Dakota veterans group and state Treasurer Kelly Schmidt are looking to Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem for clarification on the handling of some money in the Veterans Post War Trust Fund.

The Administrative Committee on Veterans Affairs wants to use $450,000 that it considers a reserve fund for grants to help needy veterans with such items as eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures.

Schmidt says her office has full constitutional and legal control of the trust fund — not just for investment purposes but also for determining how much can be distributed. She says the $450,000 cannot legally be a separate fund.

Schmidt says she and the veterans group are working together to clarify the legal administration of the fund, and are looking to Stenehjem to help settle the matter.

She also says that in the past five years, more than $500,000 has been given out in grants for personal items such as hearing aids.

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