AP source: USDA offers $1.3B to settle discrimination complaints from women, Latino farmers

AP source: USDA offers discrimination settlement

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is proposing a $1.3 billion settlement with women and Latino farmers who say they faced discrimination from the Agriculture Department.

The proposal, which was offered to plaintiffs’ attorneys Tuesday, comes as Congress is poised to approve a $1.25 billion settlement with African-American farmers and another $3.4 billion deal over mismanaged Indian trust funds.

Details of the latest offer were provided to The Associated Press by a Justice Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the settlement has not been finalized.

Thousands of minority farmers say the USDA for years denied them loans that routinely went to whites.

(This version CORRECTS Corrects to show that Native American case not against USDA.)