AP: Two U.S. Attorneys in Calif. Resign [View All]

[Eugene]

Two U.S. Attorneys in Calif. Resign

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

(01-17) 04:14 PST San Francisco (AP) --

Two U.S. Attorneys in California announced they are stepping down, as critics
alleged political pressure from the Bush administration was pushing them and
others out of their jobs.

Kevin Ryan, chief federal prosecutor for the state's Northern District, and
Carol Lam, who headed the state's Southern District, both announced Tuesday
they would be leaving.

The two are among 11 top federal prosecutors who have resigned or announced
their resignations since an obscure provision in the USA Patriot Act
reauthorization last year enabled the U.S. attorney general to appoint
replacements without Senate confirmation.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, complained on the Senate floor
Tuesday that the White House is using the provision to oust Ryan, Lam and
other federal prosecutors and replace them with Republican allies.

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Full article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/01/17/national/a041434S29.DTL

Related LBN thread: Lam's ouster concerns lawmakers (Bushco's U.S. Attorney "purge" now happening)