Lam is asked to step down (SD Attorney who prosecuted Duke Cunningham)

[cascadiance]

Well, well! We wonder why Republicans always walk in lock step with each other and don't question authority (no matter how criminal it seems to be). The answer is like the case here with Carol Lam, appointed by the Bush administration, if you try to do the right thing contrary to the Republican owned system, you will get pushed out! Just when I was beginning to respect some of the legal system down here in San Diego, they went after Carol Lam. Anyone want to BET that this is because someone is getting ready to charge Duncan Hunter, Brent Wilkes, Brian Bilbray (on residency issues), etc. with similar crimes soon, and they want to put someone more in their "back pocket" to prosecute them?

We should do a letter writing campaign asking that this be stopped. We need more people like her that priortize the important cases and not get pushed into the corner like so many other legal issues have been around here in San Diego (aka the attempt to appeal the appointment of Brian Bilbray by the congress before the election was finished).

From:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070112-9999-1n12lam.html

Lam is asked to step down

Job performance said to be behind White House firing
By Kelly Thornton and Onell R. Soto
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS

January 12, 2007

The Bush administration has quietly asked San Diego U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, best known for her high-profile prosecutions of politicians and corporate executives, to resign her post, a law enforcement official said.


Carol Lam

Lam, a Bush appointee who took the helm in 2002, was targeted because of job performance issues – in particular that she failed to make smuggling and gun cases a top priority, said the official, who declined to be identified because Lam has yet to step down.

Lam has had high-profile successes during her tenure, such as the Randy “Duke” Cunningham bribery case – but she alienated herself from bosses at the Justice Department because she is outspoken and independent, said local lawyers familiar with her policies.

When she took over, Lam made it clear that she planned to focus less on low-level smuggling cases in favor of public corruption and white collar crime, which would mean fewer but more significant prosecutions.

Lam declined to comment yesterday.

...

“It's virtually unprecedented to fire a U.S. Attorney absent some misconduct in office,” said criminal defense attorney Michael Attanasio, a former federal prosecutor.

...

[babylonsister]

1. Just like the generals in Iraq who disagreed w/dimson and were

replaced, outspokenness and independence will not be tolerated. This stinks; I hope it doesn't have an impact on her career.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Take a look at who is running the Dept. of Justice. Another candidate for impeachment and

indictment as far as I'm concerned!

[saigon68]

32. A Criminal abducting and torturing US Citizens

[leesa]

3. Protecting Duncan Hunter and the rest of the lot. She's onto something

big. Look at how the CIA is blocking investigation, the House is blocking investigation. Henry Waxman, where are you???


This stinks to high heaven!! Duncan Hunter is black with dirt as is most of heavily Republican Southern California.

[cascadiance]

6. That's a good idea. I'll send a note to Waxman too.

I'm trying to mobilize local progressive people here to protest this.

[cascadiance]

10. Perhaps someone in Waxman's district can contact him?...

I left them a voicemail, but the email contact form tries to screen people from contacting him who aren't in his district, so I think some of you all might get better attention. Might leave a note for Barbara Boxer too, since trying to contact Brian Bilbray, when he himself might be a part of this problem seems to be a useless exercise.

[cascadiance]

15. I just got a call back from Henry Waxman's office!

It sounds like they're interested in looking into this. I sent the person the links to the article and to this thread. So feel free to speak up and have it be heard here on this topic so that we can make sure we protect the real pursuers of justice here!

[leesa]

23. Good deal. I'll call on Monday. I know there's something big they are covering up here and

she's on to it.

[Liberty Belle]

30. PM me, Calipendence, please!

[Kagemusha]

4. This is an utter disgrace.

Horrible example.

[Eugene]

5. At Bush & Co., loyalty is the only job performance measure that counts.

It is startling to see failure to toe the line cited as "job performance" issue
rather than policy or political differences. Once again, the Bushies plumb
new depths in malfeasance.

[cally]

7. I hope the Senate gets involved and that

she stays on the job.

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. What a blunderheaded move on their part

If I were in her shoes, I'd be headed to DC for a meeting with Patrick Leahy.

[Ian David]

9. Another Saturday Night Massacre. n/t

[WatchWhatISay]

11. What if she says no?

Can they force her to?

[raysr]

12. Watch for her "suicide" n/t

[cascadiance]

13. If you live in San Diego and want to help her out, call her office!

I just did, and the gentleman answering it says that he's already received many calls that are primarily supporting the same support I stated for her.

Call or fax:

U.S. Attorney’s Office
San Diego County Office
Federal Office Building
880 Front Street, Room 6293
San Diego, California 92101-8893
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Tell her to stick it out and not feel forced to step down and allow time for the community to respond in her support.

[Robbien]

17. Early this moring I emailed the muckrakers over at TalkingPointsMemo

and gave them your link to this story.

I see they have it up as one of their items today. Hope it helps spread the word.

[cascadiance]

18. Thanks, I see now that there may be even more of these attorneys being let go now...

if you read the last paragraph there, and it sounds like we may not know about a lot of them!

This really stinks! This needs to stop right now!

[donkeyotay]

14. I can think of another US Attorney fired by Bush administration

"It's virtually unprecedented to fire a U.S. Attorney absent some misconduct in office,"; said criminal defense attorney Michael Attanasio, a former federal prosecutor.

US Attorney Black of Guam, fired by bush for bothering his gang.

[donkeyotay]

16. What a disgrace this administration is. Make them show cause

What has this prosecutor done to deserve to be fired? Guess the over sight committees and CIA didn't want to respond to "overly broad" subpoenas by the grand jury. Why, does sunlight disinfect? Nothing they could reveal could surpass what I imagine them to be up to since I don't have access to the facts.

If this is political harassment and obstruction of justice, then add it to the long list of impeachable offenses.

[agincourt]

19. If we remotely had a news media,

not a bunch of crony boot-lickers this would be a main story everywhere. Editorial pages as well. Bush the crook covering for his cronies would be the lead everywhere. Hope she gets a lucrative book deal that exposes more about the criminal in power.

[cascadiance]

20. Sounds like her immigration prosecutions were "embarrassing" too!

Check out this story from NPR on December 14th (that was only a month ago kids!), where she was the attorney that helped nail the Golden Fence Company for hiring as much of a third of it's workforce as illegals to build the border fence! Hah, no wonder they want to kick her out for her record on prosecuting immigration crimes. She's going after the ones they don't want publicized!!!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6626823

Border Fence Firm Snared for Hiring Illegal Workers

by Scott Horsley

All Things Considered, December 14, 2006 · A fence-building company in Southern California agrees to pay nearly $5 million in fines for hiring illegal immigrants. Two executives from the company may also serve jail time. The Golden State Fence Company's work includes some of the border fence between San Diego and Mexico.

After an immigration check in 1999 found undocumented workers on its payroll, Golden State promised to clean house. But when followup checks were made in 2004 and 2005, some of those same illegal workers were still on the job. In fact, U-S Attorney Carol Lam says as many as a third of the company's 750 workers may have been in the country illegally.

Golden State Fence built millions of dollars' worth of fencing around homes, offices, and military bases. Its president and one of its Southern California managers will pay fines totaling $300,000. The government is also recommending jail time for Melvin Kay and Michael McLaughlin, probably about six months.

It is exceptionally rare for those who employ illegal immigrants to face any kind of criminal prosecution, let alone jail time. Earlier this week, for example, immigration raids on six meat-packing plants netted almost 1,300 suspected illegal workers. But no charges were leveled against the company that runs the plants: Swift.

...

[Dover]

29. That border crisis was created, in part, to feed the contractors

Border fences are absurd, unless viewed in terms of opportunities for payola.

[alfredo]

33. I wonder if they were big Republican donars. They had to have

been if they got the contract.

[cascadiance]

21. I was just reading someplace else that we may have the Patriot Act to blame for this!

According to a poster on another site, perhaps the reason for all of these forced resignations is that under the newly signed Patriot Act, U.S. Attorney appointees no longer have to be approved by the Senate as they used to be. Think about that for a minute! If Bush now puts in political yes men/women in these positions around the country instead of decently qualified law enforcement people, not only could we have people moved in to these positions looking to aid Bushco's coverup every place, but the quality of individuals which will have a general effect on all federal crimes being prosecuted and have them prosecuted in a more partisan manner! This is potentially huge folks! We need to get the word out! And once these people are forced out, it will be very hard to repair the damage once it's been done.

[cascadiance]

22. NC Times now has an article up...

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/01/13/news/top_stories/21_44_311_12_07.txt

Still not much coverage about this and the purge of other Attorneys now. Dianne Feinstein looks to be also heavily concerned about this. I've not been much of a DiFi supporter, but if she can help stop this thing its tracks, it will be a point in her favor for her with me.

[leesa]

24. She didn't prosecute enough brown aliens...my favorite quote from the

UT article in original post...

“She has shown a certain tunnel vision in her prosecutions and has exercised an appalling lack of discretion in terms of the individuals she has targeted for prosecution and the classes of crimes that she has chosen to direct her resources at,” said criminal defense attorney Geoffrey C. Morrison, who represented a defendant in the City Hall corruption case prosecuted by Lam's office."

Her crime was to go after rich white guys...simply appalling

[MindPilot]

25. Today's UT: Lam stays silent about losing job

Lam stays silent about losing job

Law enforcement defends her record

By Kelly Thornton
and Onell R. Soto
STAFF WRITERS

January 13, 2007

Amid news reports that she has been asked to step down, U.S. Attorney Carol Lam declined repeated interview requests yesterday and did not address the matter with her staff.

At a weekly managers meeting, Lam was stoic, conducting business as usual and discussing next week's caseload, according to people who attended. She made no mention of a resignation request by the Bush administration, nor did anyone ask about it.

Advertisement However, she did discuss the matter with at least one law enforcement colleague. Dan Dzwilewski, head of the FBI office in San Diego, said he spoke to Lam several times yesterday and he feels the criticism and the way the situation was handled are unfair.
“I don't think it's the right way to treat anybody. What's the decision based on?” Dzwilewski said. “I don't share the view of whoever's making the decision back there in Washington that they'd like her to resign. I feel Carol has an excellent reputation and has done an excellent job given her limited resources.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070113/news_1m13lam.html

[MindPilot]

26. The story has legs now: 3 LTTEs in todays paper--all on Lam's side

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070113/news_lz1e13lets.html

[autorank]

27. *shadow government* is stepping out, proud, assertive. We've got trouble Houston.

This is part of a pattern that is increasingly disturbing. The most dangerous people on earth in power are in the WH. What a pathetic comment this is. Now can we PLEASE talk about IMPEACHMENT.

[MarinCoUSA]

28. "Fire this Bitch before she indites another Republican..."

and before the next election.

Holy SH!T!!! I was channeling Karl Rove and The Big Dick for a moment there!

[donheld]

31. She needs to LOUDLY tell them to get stuffed!

These Attorneys need to fight back.