More smoke on US Attorneys

Add Debra Yang to the list of those who dubiously "relocated" out of key investigations into Republican officials.

Ms. Yang was investigating Jerry Lewis, who was chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Ms. Lam and most of the other purged prosecutors were fired on Dec. 7. Ms. Yang, in a fortuitously timed exit, resigned in mid-October.

Ms. Yang says she left for personal reasons, but there is growing evidence that the White House was intent on removing her. Kyle Sampson, the Justice Department staff member in charge of the firings, told investigators last month in still-secret testimony that Harriet Miers, the White House counsel at the time, had asked him more than once about Ms. Yang. He testified, according to Congressional sources, that as late as mid-September, Ms. Miers wanted to know whether Ms. Yang could be made to resign. ....

The new job that Ms. Yang landed raised more red flags. Press reports say she got a $1.5 million signing bonus to become a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, a firm with strong Republican ties.

We also have Paul McNulty trying to get his butt off the line by describing a March 5th meeting with Karl Rove where "White House officials told the Justice Department group that they needed to agree on clear reasons why each prosecutor was fired and explain them to Congress."

(And, was Monica Goodling crying because she knew what she did was against the law? Is that why her career was over?)