Who is Sally Yates and Why Did Trump Fire Her? 5 Facts You Need to Know
In yet another totalitarian display of power, U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday fired acting Attorney General Sally Quillan Yates for "betraying" the Department of Justice.
President Trump's contentious executive order that temporarily closes American borders to refugees and immigrants from Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Iran, Iraq, and Somalia, has been met with widespread protests. The level of disdain for the decision was driven home when Sally Yates, the top federal government lawyer in the U.S., instructed Justice Department lawyers not to defend the recently-imposed travel restrictions.
Here's what you need to know about Sally Yates and her actions which are completely unprecedented in U.S. history.
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1. Sally Yates' Early Career
A native of Atlanta, Sally Yates studied law at the University of Georgia. After graduating from university, she practiced commercial litigation at a law firm in Atlanta before entering into the public service sphere in September 1989 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Georgia.
In 1994, Sally Yates became chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section. Holding this title, Yates served as lead prosecutor in the case against Eric Rudolph -- the man who terrorized America for nearly two decades with anti-abortion and anti-gay-motivated bombings.
Described as a tactful, knowledgeable and dedicated worker, Yates was a well-respected figure, not only in the Justice Department, but in other federal agencies like the F.B.I., C.I.A., and the Secret Service as well.
Over the next two decades, Yates held several supervisory positions within the office. In 2010, former President Obama appointed her as the United States Attorney, making her the first woman to hold the post, according to her U.S. Department of Justice page.
2. Sally Yates during the Obama Years
Sally Yates was nominated for Deputy Attorney General by former President Obama in January 2015 and was confirmed by the Senate for the position in May 2015.
Now at the second-highest post in the Justice Department, Yates was responsible for overseeing the operations of the Department along with its four law enforcement agencies -- the F.B.I., the D.E.A., Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
A Democrat herself, Yates was an advocate of Obama's policy granting tentative deportation amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, according to the Washington Times. She also worked for granting clemency to non-violent drug offenders citing aged policies that were no longer relevant.
3. Sally Yates becomes Acting Attorney General
On January 20, as the U.S. administration changed hands from Barack Obama to Donald Trump, Sally Yates was appointed as the country's acting Attorney General. She was to remain at the post until President Trump's nominee for the position, Jeff Sessions, was confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (Republican from Alabama), who is expected to be approved by the end of this week, had earlier told Yates during her confirmation hearing in May last year that she would "have to watch out because people will be asking you to do things you just need to say "no" about. Do you think the Attorney General has the responsibility to say no to the President if he asks for something that's improper?"
Yates -- who replied saying that "Senator, I believe the Attorney General or the Deputy Attorney General has an obligation to follow the law and the Constitution, and to give their independent legal advice to the president" -- was worryingly ousted by Trump for following what her most likely replacement suggested her to do, which was also something she agreed with.
4. A Rare Rebuke by the Attorney General
As Attorney General, it was Yates' responsibility to ensure that the laws and Constitution of the U.S. were being upheld. It wasn't her responsibility to indulge unwarranted executive orders being issued by the White House.
In keeping with her responsibilities, Yates decided that she couldn't support Trump's recent anti-immigration order.
"I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution's solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right," Yates said in her letter to the lawyers of the Department of Justice, according to The New York Times. "At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful."
"For as long as I am the acting attorney general, the Department of Justice will not present arguments in defense of the executive order, unless and until I become convinced that it is appropriate to do so," Yates said.
An Attorney General defying an explicit Presidential order has been a rarity in U.S. history. The most famous previous example of such an incident was the "Saturday Night Massacre" of 1973 when the then-Attorney General Elliot Richardson and his deputy were fired by President Richard Nixon for not following his order to remove a special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal.
5. How the White House responded
Within hours of Yates' declaration opposing Trump's order, the President fired her and appointed Dana J. Boente, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, as acting Attorney General.
Here is the White House statement released after Yates' removal:
"The acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States. This order was approved as to form and legality by the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel."
"Ms. Yates is an Obama Administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration. It is time to get serious about protecting our country. Calling for tougher vetting for individuals travelling from seven dangerous places is not extreme. It is reasonable and necessary to protect our country."
"Tonight, President Trump relieved Ms. Yates of her duties and subsequently named Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve as Acting Attorney General until Senator Jeff Sessions is finally confirmed by the Senate, where he is being wrongly held up by Democrat senators for strictly political reasons."
