McClatchy - Lam was set to search CIA officials home just before being fired.

From McClatchy Newspapers (who last year bought out Knight-Ridder):

By Margaret Talev and Marisa Taylor
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)

WASHINGTON - Fired San Diego U.S. attorney Carol Lam notified the Justice Department that she intended to execute search warrants on a high-ranking CIA official as part of a corruption probe the day before a Justice Department official sent an e-mail that said Lam needed to be fired, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Sunday.

Feinstein, D-Calif., said the timing of the e-mail suggested that Lam's dismissal may have been connected to the corruption probe.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse denied in an e-mail that there was any link.

"We have stated numerous times that no U.S. attorney was removed to retaliate against or inappropriately interfere with any public corruption investigation or prosecution," he wrote. "This remains the case and there is no evidence that indicates otherwise."

I wonder if anyone with half a brain and a memory of the Bush administration that goes back more than six years believes Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse?

The more I see on the US attorney firings, the more I am convinced that, as I I previously wrote, the firing of the seven US attorneys on December 7th was primarily motivated as a coverup for firing the one they really wanted, Carol Lam. She indicted Brent Wilkes before leaving office and was investigating Rep. Jerry Lewis for the same set of corrupt actions involving the CIA purchasing and contract behavior. Lewis was Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee (on which "Duke" Cunningham served) so that goes directly at the House Republican Leadership. Then, because of the secrecy of the Intelligence expenditures, we have no idea what corruption occurred at the CIA. Now we know that a high-ranking CIA official was to be served a search warrant, and we know that the CIA number 3 person, Foggo, is being investigated. Foggo is, of course, a high school and college friend of Brent Wilkes who has already been indicted.

Do you wonder why Kyle Sampson, the Chief of Staff to Attorney General Gonzales and the person who actually "pulled the trigger" on the firings of the seven US attorneys, left that job so suddently? Can you say "Obstruction of Justice?"

[h/t to TPM.]