Over where I normally hang my hat I’ve been pretty intently following the Case of the Purged Prosecutors, the political firings of 8 US Attorneys by the Justice Department, which will reach a fever pitch tomorrow when many of the fired attorneys testify before Congress.  But Laura Rozen has an interesting story about the 9th US Attorney who left her job this year, the one who wasn’t fired:

Former Los Angeles US attorney Debra Wong Yang, who had been heading up the investigation into former Appropriations committee chairman Jerry Lewis. And where did Yang go on January 1st? To the law firm representing Lewis.

For those just joining us, the Jerry Lewis investigation is huge and far-reaching.  He basically turned the House Appropriation Committee under his chairmanship into a personal earmark factory.  The list of questionable dealings is long and luminous.  Lewis has already spent $900,000 in legal fees and hasn’t even been indicted yet.

Rozen continues:

The fact that Yang resigned her office November 10 — just after the elections – is interesting. It’s no secret that the decision to retire and a decision informed by knowledge one is going to be dismissed are sometimes the same thing. Is Yang the exception that proves the rule, or no exception at all? Among the powerful partners at Gibson Dunn, the firm that offered Yang a golden parachute, you will remember, is Theodore Olsen, the Bush White House former solicitor general. The Lewis investigation is of course the big enchilada, the one that would really hurt, and not just Lewis. Will Congress want to hear from Yang as well?

I hope they would, and I would suggest to Sen. Feinstein, a leader on this issue, that she look into what happened in her home state with respect to Debra Wong Yang.

Dianne Feinstein isn’t the top choice of most progressives or of the online community.  But she’s making a considerable effort on an issue that needs attention, this Justice Department purge of able US Attorneys for what appear to be political reasons.  Feinstein should be applauded for bringing so much attention on Capitol Hill to this attempt to stop the Bush Admnistration from firing capable prosecutors and installing their own political hacks, whether to shield themselves and their allies from future prosecution or to place Republican operatives in the US Attorney positions (a good place from which to begin future political campaigns).

Give her a call if you can and thank her for her attention to this issue.  It’s always positive to reward good behavior; that way we can expect more of it.

On the flip is Feinstein’s letter to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate, urging them to take action on closing the loophole in the Patriot Act that allowed the Justice Department to hire and fire at will without seeking Senate confirmation.  She has now seen the evaluations for most of the fired prosecutors, and has seen that there was no cause for their sackings.

February 26, 2007
Majority Leader Harry Reid

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell:

This weekend, the Department of Justice finally released six of the Evaluation and Review Staff (EARS) reports of the fired U.S. Attorneys which are attached for your review. EARS reports are thorough and scheduled reviews that are done on a periodic basis to evaluate U.S. Attorneys and determine how they are doing in their jobs, where there is need for improvement, and where there are successes.

Reports were provided for:

· Carol Lam, San Diego
· John McKay, Western District of Washington
· Bud Cummins, Eastern District of Arkansas
· David Iglesias, District of New Mexico
· Paul Charlton, District of Arizona
· Daniel Bogden, District of Nevada

All were favorable and, in fact, all are quite positive reviews of their performances. Indeed, contrary to the Department’s rationalizations to explain their dismissals, in every case the fired U.S. Attorney was judged to have a strategic plan and appropriate priorities to meet the needs of the Department and their districts.

These reports confirm my speculation that the rash of firings that occurred in December was not based on misconduct or poor performances. Instead, these reports only serve to fuel my concerns that the Department of Justice based its decisions to fire competent and successful U.S. Attorneys because of a desire to put young politically-connected lawyers from the outside into these offices.

I continue to believe that it is imperative that we change the law back to the way it had been, and require the Department of Justice to go through regular order and secure Senate confirmation of U.S. Attorneys. I urge you both to find a time to bring S. 214, Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007, to the floor of the Senate and schedule an up or down vote on the floor.

What the hell is Rove up to now? As diaried by proudprogressiveca Abu Gonzales has asked at least 9 US attorneys to leave their positions before their terms are up.  Most notably this list includes Carol Lam from San Diego, who prosecuted the Duke-Stir.  Check out the video: (via mcJoan at dKos)