Speculation on Monday evening suggested that the primary target of Devin Nunes’ odd behavior over the previous days was preventing the next public hearing of the Intelligence Committee, a hearing at which former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates was due to speak.
Interesting—Jeremy Bash implies Sally Yates had revelations for House Intel about when she told WH that Flynn lied. Nunes nixed the hearing.
But Nunes’ actions are only part of the wall the Trump regime is attempting to build between Yates and any chance she might tell the public what she knows.
The Trump administration sought to block former acting attorney general Sally Yates from testifying to Congress in the House investigation of links between Russian officials and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, The Washington Post has learned, a position that is likely to further anger Democrats who have accused Republicans of trying to damage the probe.
Even if Yates does make it to a public forum, the Trump regime is so frightened of what she has to say, that they’re attempting to tape her mouth shut with an eye-rolling legal claim.
Yates was notified earlier this month by the Justice Department that the administration considers a great deal of her possible testimony to be barred from discussion in a congressional hearing because the topics are covered by the presidential communication privilege.
#LetSallySpeak
Sign if you agree: Sally Yates must be allowed to testify.
Sally Yates is best remembered for taking a bold stand against the first iteration of Trump’s Muslim ban. In attempting to hold true to the “justice” part of Justice Department, Yates infuriated Trump and earned a swift dismissal from her position as Acting Attorney General.
But while she was holding down that spot, Yates played an important role in the investigation into Michael Flynn’s activities. It was Sally Yates who sent a warning letter to the White House noting that Flynn’s public statements, and statements of others at the White House, were at odds with his real activities in connection to the Russian ambassador.
In January, Yates warned White House Counsel Don McGahn that statements made by White House officials about Flynn’s contacts with the ambassador were incorrect, and could therefore expose the national security adviser to future blackmail by the Russians.
Through her attorney, Sally Yates has made it clear that any testimony she gives in open hearing will avoid classified information or ongoing investigations. But that’s not good enough for Trump.
“The Department of Justice has advised that it believes there are further constraints on the testimony Ms. Yates may provide at the [House intelligence committee] hearing. Generally, we understand that the department takes the position that all information Ms. Yates received or actions she took in her capacity as Deputy Attorney General and acting Attorney General are client confidences that she may not disclose absent written consent of the department,’’ the lawyer wrote.
So Yates is being called to testify because she was the AG during investigations of the Trump–Russia connections, but she’s not allowed to talk about anything she learned while working at the Justice Department. That’s … convenient if you’re really concerned about what she might say.
Yate’s lawyers were quick to dismiss that claim.
Yates’ lawyer then sent a letter Friday to the White House lawyer, McGahn, saying that any claim of privilege “has been waived as a result of the multiple public comments of current senior White House officials describing the January 2017 communications. Nevertheless, I am advising the White House of Ms. Yates’ intention to provide information.’’
So Yates declared she wasn’t going to be intimidated by the Trump regime’s overreaching claims.
The day that letter arrived, was the day Devin Nunes cancelled the public hearing.
The letter from Yates’ layer which came right before Nunes’ cancelled the hearing.
Tuesday, Mar 28, 2017 · 3:21:23 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
The White House is now attacking not just the Washington Post story, but the whole idea that anyone was trying to stop Yates from testifying … because obviously her lawyer was writing spontaneous letters in reply to nothing.