Former San Diego US Attorney Carol Lam was on Capitol Hill today, called by the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions about her dismissal. From Washington, Benjamin Shaw reports.
Lam and half-dozen other federal prosecutors were fired -- all on the same day in December. The Justice Department has said they were fired for "performance-related" reasons. But lawmakers on the Hill smell something political -- and some have alleged it was retribution for her work on the Duke Cunningham case. Lam says she was never told why she was fired, and refused -- even after repeated questioning -- to speculate why.
Lam : I did not receive any pressure from the Department of Justice or any intonation that I was being removed because of the Cunningham investigation.
Some lawmakers say a closed-door hearing may be in order so Lam can speak more freely about ongoing investigations. From Capitol Hill, Benjamin Shaw, KPBS news.
