Former acting-Attorney General Sally Yates, who briefly served under President Donald J. Trump for the first 10 days of his administration, is set to testify before a Senate subcommittee on Monday over the alleged Russian hacking of the 2016 presidential election.
Yates served as Trump’s Attorney General for a mere 10 days, and was abruptly fired for refusing to defend the administration’s travel restrictions. Ms. Yates is now back in the headlines after she allegedly warned the administration about then-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s communications with a Russian diplomat.
Yates’ newly found fame, especially among Democrats, is resulting in the former Obama official facing increased public scrutiny, and Judicial Watch is demanding answers. The conservative watchdog group is suing for Yates’ Justice Department emails between January 20 and January 31.
#FOIA suit from @JudicialWatch seeks all of Sally Yates’ emails from 1/21/17 to 1/31/17 (when she was fired) https://t.co/QmR7MUhiet pic.twitter.com/r9E7tbVNdk
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) May 5, 2017
From Politico:
The emails could also shed light on the bigger controversy that has enmeshed Yates and the Trump White House: her decision to warn the president that then-national security adviser Michael Flynn was misrepresenting his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. Sources say Yates also told White House Counsel Don McGahn that Flynn was susceptible to blackmail or pressure from the Russians because the public account the White House offered was inaccurate.
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Judicial Watch’s suit says the group requested the emails under FOIA on February 1, 2017, about two weeks before Yates’ warning to the White House became public in a Washington Post report.
It’s unclear how many Flynn-related emails exist in Yates’ account since any detailed discussion of that issue would likely be classified and may have been handled in separate systems or on paper. Congressional investigators may also seek that same information from the Justice Department.
Ms. Yates was strongly criticized for refusal to defend the administration’s travel restrictions, which given her liberal political leanings was no surprise. The left viciously attacked President Trump for firing Ms. Yates, but given her lack of ties, or willingness to defend the administration, her removal from the Department of Justice was long overdue.
The emails requested by Judicial Watch could reveal the motivation behind Ms. Yates’ refusal to do her job, and if there was any evidence that her political leanings influenced her decision-making. Judicial Watch has been active in exposing government corruption and abuse, so hopefully, this latest lawsuit will uncover more Obama-era problems.
Do you think Sally Yates’ emails will show that politics played a role in her decision to not defend President Trump’s travel restrictions? Share your thoughts below!