We now know that on May 10, 2005, Lam informed DoJ senior management that she intended to file search warrants against CIA #3 "Dusty" Foggo as well as acouple of other people, as part of an an expansion in her corruption investigation against Duke Cuningham.

The next day, May 11 2005, Kyle Sampson sent an email to the Deputy White House Counsel, asking him to call to discuss "the real problem we have right now with Carol Lam", and saying they should have someone in line to replace her.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/16931329.htm

While the case "broke" in June 2005, the preceding winter/spring is precisely when DoJ would have become aware of what was coming up. It's not like the AG's office only knows about major cases -- esp involving Washington figures -- when the indictments hit the newspapers.

Tell me honestly Tom, that if the names were instead Janet Reno's Chief of Staff, dep WH counsel Bruce Lindsay, the US Attorney in Little Rock, and Webster Hubbell, you would still be saying "nothing to see here" about that email.

I doubt you could honestly do so, given that you've already claimed that Reno firing all US Attys upon assuming office, as is usually done(*), was really done to protect Rostenkowski. Which is a pretty weak reed -- one heck of a lot less suggesting than that email exchange.

I'll grant that Reno ordering them to be out on 10 days notice was unusual, but replacing the whole lot is standard. Here for example is the Bush Admin's press release from March 2001 announcing they were in the process of replacing most (it ended up being 91 of 93) US Atty, though at a more leisurely pace. 1/3 had already been replaced as of March 14, 2001, with the rest to be replaced by June 1st.

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2001/March/107ag.htm