CORPORATE CRIME REPORTER
Carol
Lam Fired Because of Her Focus on White Collar Crime
21 Corporate Crime Reporter 11, March 6, 2007
It’s clear from the testimony of William Moschella – an assistant
deputy attorney general – before a House Judiciary Committee subcommittee
today that former San Diego U.S. Attorney Carol Lam was forced out because of
her focus on white-collar and corporate crime at the expense of prosecuting
street crime.
Moschella told the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law that under Lam, street crime prosecutions suffered as Lam focused on public corruption and other white collar matters.
Moschella said that Lam’s office was rated 91st among 93 U.S. Attorney’s offices – only Guam and Puerto Rico rated worse – in gun violence prosecutions.
And Lam’s office also rated poorly when it came to alien smuggling prosecutions.
Lam focused instead on high-profile public corruption prosecutions – including that of former Republican Congressman Randy Duke Cunningham.
“Here we have the greatest corruption prosecution and you said she rated so poorly we have to improve the office by replacing her,” Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Michigan) told Moschella.
Moschella said that while Main Justice supported Lam in her prosecution of white collar and public corruption cases, they were concerned about Lam’s failure to actively pursue gun violence and immigration cases.
Moschella also ripped into an FBI official who told reporters in San Diego “I guarantee politics is involved” in the Lam firing.
Moschella said that FBI agent was “absolutely irresponsible” in making that allegation.
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