Buzzflash: Why was U.S. Attorney Carol Lam Fired? Here's a Few Political Explanations

We know the fired U.S. Attorneys were booted for political reasons, but at this point there is simply no way to know exactly what those reasons were. For example, several possible explanations are floating around surrounding the ouster of ex-San Diego prosecutor Carol Lam. Here's a few:

Duke Cunningham Conviction
Lam was responsible for the investigation and conviction of disgraced Republican congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Cunningham got eight years in federal prison for taking more than $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors just a few months before the midterm elections, a significant blow to the party.

Kyle Foggo Indictment
Lam didn't stop with Cunningham. Among the other indictments was Kyle Foggo, the third-ranking official in the CIA. Foggo was involved in corruption and bribery with the same defense contractor as Cunningham. The day after Lam notified the Justice Department that search warrants would be issued, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' chief of staff wrote the following in an email:

"The real problem we have right now with Carol Lam ... leads me to conclude that we should have someone ready to be nominated on 11/18, the day her four-year term expires."

Rep. Jerry Lewis Investigation
The above email did not mention what the "real problem" was. While some stories tie it to Foggo, others tie it to the investigation of Rep. Lewis, the former chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, was also tied by Lam into the Cunningham case. The email was sent the very day the New York Times identified that Lam had begun investigating Lewis.

Dick Cheney Implicated in Scandal
Lam may have been getting close to uncovering a possible role by Dick Cheney himself in the Cunningham case. Mitchell Wade, the convicted defense contractor involved in the scandal, got $140,000 from the White House on July 15, 2002 to provide Cheney with "office furniture and computers." It was his very first federal contract. Just two weeks later Wade bought a yacht for Cunningham for the price of exactly $140,000.

Freak coincidence or illegal corruption conspiracy? You decide- Carol Lam can't because she was fired.

Even more here: http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/analysis/192

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