SAN DIEGO -- New allegations have surfaced that former San Diego U.S. Attorney Carol Lam was fired in an attempt to shut down investigations stemming from the Randy "Duke" Cunningham scandal, it was reported Monday.

Lam, one of eight U.S. attorneys abruptly fired by the Justice Department, spearheaded the case against Cunningham, the former Republican congressman from Rancho Santa Fe who pleaded guilty to bribery and income tax evasion. He was sentenced in March 2006 to more than eight years in prison.

As a result, Lam also investigated two of Cunningham's associates: Brent Wilkes, a Poway-based defense contractor, and Kyle "Dusty" Foggo, a top CIA official who resigned May 8.

Wilkes was accused of bribing Cunningham and Foggo to get contracts for his companies.

Wilkes and Foggo were indicted last month on several charges, including conspiracy and fraud.

Appearing on CBS' "Face The Nation," Sunday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said that on May 10, Lam "sent a notice to the Justice Department saying that there would be two search warrants sent in the case of Dusty Foggo and a defense contractor. The next day, an e-mail went from the Justice Department to the White House," the Los Angeles Times reported.

The e-mail from D. Kyle Sampson, former chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, said: "The real problem we have right now with Carol Lam ... leads me to conclude that we should have someone ready to be nominated on 11/18, the day her four-year term expires," The Times reported.

Lam was notified of her firing Dec. 7; she stepped down in February. Two days before leaving office, she announced the indictments of Wilkes and Foggo.