I have previously been critical of the stance taken by former acting Attorney General Sally Yates. I remained unconvinced that Yates had the ethical basis to order for the entire Justice Department to stand down and not to assist the president in the defense of his first executive order on immigration. I also questioned Yates’ decision to voluntarily testify before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She was testifying as someone who was recently in a prosecutorial position about subjects related to an ongoing investigation where no one has yet to be indicted. Now those concerns have been magnified by Yates’ appearance in the media to talk about matters center to the ongoing investigation at the Justice Department and other related subjects.
In an interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN, Yates discussed how former national security adviser Michael Flynn was in a “serious compromise situation, that the Russians had real leverage.” Such statements are unfair to someone like Flynn who is the target of a federal investigation but not indicted on any crime. Ironically, many criticized Trump for allegedly asking former FBI Director James Comey about the pending investigation of Flynn. Additionally, many criticized Comey for discussing the details of alleged violations by Hillary Clinton despite her not being indicted. Yates’ discussion of matters related to the investigation raise equal concerns. This type of public commentary can also hurt Yates’ colleagues who are still working the case. She can indicate the perceived strength or interpretation of evidence. That can affect the willingness of witnesses to cooperate with the investigators. Finally, it can discourage targets from speaking with prosecutors if they fear that they can go public at any time and comment on their presumed guilt or vulnerability.
Yates also told Anderson that Flynn lied to Vice President Mike Pence and there was “certainly a criminal statute that was implicated by his conduct.” She added “Whether he is fired or not is a decision by the President of the United States to make, but it doesn’t seem like that’s a person who should be sitting in the national security adviser position.”
Relying on her knowledge from the open investigation, Yates declared on television that the Russian had “real leverage” over Flynn.
Flynn was definetly wrong by what he did. with the Russians and turkey he knew the rules but greed got him in trouble.Yates was not fired because of Flynn she was fired for making her laws on illegal immigration..
Edit: They are acting in unenlightened irrational manner because of Trump’s cult of personality.
I don’t see a problem. Flynn made public statements about seeking criminal immunity, he bragged about a story to tell about President Trump, Yates is private citizen asked to testify before congress publicly, and now she commented on what she said publicly.
I don’t see a problem. Why do you Jonathon? I find your efforts to support the Trump side of the ledger disheartening if not incorrect. Trump the fraud, the bankrupt, the inveterate liar and manipulator, and the stupid. Unlike the Clinton impeachment, which was a ridiculous abuse of power by Republicans, this president is a legitimate concern.
The Trump-Russia criminal investigation is like a murder crime scene where Trump and his team are walking around the pools of blood on the ground, themselves covered in blood with bloody knives in their hands…but the body was disposed of. So naturally, the right wing authoritarian follower sees this and concludes, “Don’t you see? There’s no crime here. Show me the body. Time to shut down this fake murder investigation. Who called the police? We must arrest that person.” The supporters want to arrest all leakers so that Trump can do his job unimpeded by accountability, review, or transparency to anyone but himself. That’s the American Way to his supporters!
Backroom politics, zero transparency and absolutely no checks or balances to executive power. Yes, sandbag the media, gaslight presidential actions and scream, ‘fake news’ and ‘leakers’ at every avenue of criticism. No matter, his authoritarian supporters will ignore all this and point to President Obama as the most divisive, corrupt president in history. These people have personality disorders that encumber their rationality. They are not acting in unenlightened irrational manner because of Trump’s cult of personality.
It’s all deeply troubling. The question that must be asked is where’s the line and shouldn’t the higher we go up the ladder the more stringent the repercussions? Yates may have spoken out of turn in the ‘legal fair’ perspective, but when you place her and the others that trip over their tongues on occasion next to Trump, they come off as near perfection. Again, everyone of these people are there to serve the nation, not the other way around-the nation there to serve their egos. It is inevitable that anyone that makes it up any ladder will have a larger than normal ego-Trump case in point. However, when that ego or demand for power exceeds their obligations to the people who elected them, they got to go. Add mental instability and Trump simply has to go.
The Democrat’s end game is to Impeach Trump period.
Example: Talking to Russians about a laptop bomb was top secret. How did this happen?
Years ago laptops, inkjet printers & other electronic devices were flagged as possible IED’s. Shippers like Fedex & UPS began screening them YEARS AGO. Not TOP SECRET.
Here’s Maxine Waters in a video 2/4/2017. Impeachment witch hunt had already begun.
Only republicans have the power to impeach Trump.
Doubt he gets impeached but the fool killed his own plan to make America great again.
Wilson Pickett lyrics
Mustang Sally Lyrics
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
One of these early mornings, oh, you gonna be wiping your weeping eyes
I bought you a brand new mustang ’bout nineteen sixty five
Now you come around signifying a woman, you don’t want to let me ride
Mustang Sally, think you better slow your mustang down
You been running all over the town now
Oh! I guess I’ll have to put your flat feet on the ground
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride1
All the other apCray aside. I listened and watched the interview. Where is this hillbilly from?
That southern accent gets old. Or obnoxious to listen too. We should call her Mustang Sally.
I would think someone should complain to the D.C. Bar about an ethics complaint against Ms. Yates. She has a duty to her former client, the US Govt, to stay quiet about any case under her divisions purview. She is a loose cannon, with the ethics of an alley cat.
The US government was her employer, not her client.
David Benson – that is a distinction without a difference. It is unethical.
Accuracy, please.
David, Is not every attorney’s client also his employer?
I imagine she knows the rules quite well. She is just that type of gal.
Mike Kelly – she may know the rules, she just is not playing by them. Just like Comey.
And you applaud the lunatic POTUS for not going by ty traditional rules,
Mike Kelly – would you source where I have applauded the POTUS for not going by traditional rules? And can you source where I have ever said this POTUS was a lunatic?
I said he is a lunatic and a raging one at that.
Mike Kelly – accusing the President of being mental ill is the current meme of the DNC. Are you working for them or are you a sheeple following orders?
Jo scar says he had the big a and he is a republican
Mike Kelly – Joe is a RINO regardless of what he calls himself. He talks the talk, but he doesn’t walk the walk.
Don’t much care for the DNC. Have not given a dime since Jimmy was president.
Mike Kelly – you donated to Jimmy Carter and you think Trump is a lunatic? Irony,
Paul, The Irishman Mike Kelly obviously is self righteous and smug, since he loves Carter and Yates..2 Georgians I might add.
Yates was fired and is not a current employee. Not sure that she has much to hide, but, I don’t know what the responsibilities of fired justices are with regard to cases they may have been involved in. If there is no indictment, how serious of a gag order can there be?
Old Trumpie thought he could fire all those that had the goods on him and shut them up. He underestimated them and their commitment. Now Trump wants to jail reporters and obstruct justice. Time for this dude to go. He is making America a hot
Mess pile of manure.
Yup.
“Now Trump wants to jail reporters and obstruct justice.”
Like James Rosen and not appointing a Special Prosecutor to have the DOJ investigate and prosecute the Bush administration.
Oh, wait, that was President Obama. Maybe he should be prosecuted now, too, if Trump needs to be impeached…
TBob posted this on the Erdogan thread, and it needs repeating over and over:
Lack of symmetrical outrage is usually a good indicator that outrage is fake and motivated by partisan politics. (Sean Davis @seanmdav)
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/864507772498587648
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Waste of bits and bytes.
JT:
Huh??? You are expecting ethics from a Democratic lawyer??? What a quaint, and old fashioned, notion!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Honestly, Professor, these people are just shallow political hacks when it comes down to it. Loving the spot light, loving their own image in the mirror and hacking up the political bile and seeing who can make the best show of pretending for America that they are doing it for the highest moral purpose.
Christine, This political hack will be running for public office soon. Bet on it.
Yates reminds me of this bird:
Maybe she should have just waited. . . .
She reminds me of Joan of Arc.
Mike – she reminds you of Joan of Arc? The part where she is sold to the English or burned at the stake? Or abandoned by her king?
Trump would like to burn her but he can’t. I think it is her haircut. Lol
Mike Kelly – and who does Rachel Maddow remind you off? 😉
Looks like Mike pleasures himself watching the Georgia Peach, Yates.
OH PLEASE!
Who will be the first person to be granted immunity and expose the deep state? Someone is out there right now who is absolutely disgusted with all of this and will bring this massive, criminal organization known as the federal government down. They may not survive it, but they will certainly make the history books.
How did Greg Miller at the Washington Post know that someone at the White House contacted the CIA regarding Trump’s visit with the 2 Russians where he dropped intel secrets?
Obama would have droned them.
Nonsense!
So Greg Miller is working with the Russians?
You seem mildly out of your mind.
Thanks for answering my question with your emotional reply.
Again how did Greg Miller get his info?
So any conversation that the White House has with the CIA is open for publication?
The “nonsense” was for your last sentence.
As for WaPo, somebody at the meeting told the reporter. Or else indirectly via the CIA.
For your review:
http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/jan/10/jake-tapper/cnns-tapper-obama-has-used-espionage-act-more-all-/
Chances are he heard about the meetng and made up the rest and as we found out no intell secrets were dropped. Once again the mensheviks lose.
Trump Kushner clan is the criminal organization. Pop Kushner spend some time in an orange jumpsuit. Christie nailed those crooks and JJared bumped Christie from the AG’ s slot . Instead we got an old cracker that wants to increase jail time for drug offenses.
Mike Kelly – the current AG is asking for the maximum for all sentences, not just drug offences. As Baretta said, If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.
Hmmm, it looks like Yates is trying to position herself for a run at some political office.
Oh gee, ya think?
She and Comey are legitimizing righteousness via Chicken Little.
Great profession ya got there Professor Turley.
Fcking celebrity wannabes.
Huh?
Why in God’s name is she talking abut anything related to this situation prior to any formal investigation.
How will anything she says publicly not taint any impartiality going forward with any portion of this scandal?
See it’s all about her. Just like Comey, it’s all about him
Egotistical righteous a-holes representing the best of the law enforcement side of the legal profession.
In any case the most he will receive is a hand slap.
As a Washington insider he is through…
Jason in the house wants to
Bring Comey into to testify. Bet those memos are meticulously done. Bout time those repubs quite stonewalling. Old Pence is practicing the oath. He is just another bad pick the hot mess brain did.
mrs pence wont like the gold in the WH. They are not Russian
Oligarch wannabes.
I think her statements deeply contrast those coming from the White House and the President that change by the hour. No criticism of McMaster, Sanders, Spicer, Trump and anyone else that obfuscates and outright lies to America. I hear no suggestion she’s not telling the truth. Yet she’s the one you complain about.
BTW, McMaster had and to my knowledge earned a stellar reputation until today. He didn’t help drain the swamp, the swamp corrupted him.
Stilll no collusion or connection to any President except the one he worked for as a Democrat. The outsider acted like an outsider but it was an insider operation from everything Yates is saying. We’ll have to wait and see what the investigations produce. Not going to change the minds of the Collective and their programmers but then so what? Their only use is teaching America how close they came to being the USSA . Their only chance was to win and we stopped that cold. Nov 9th a day that will live famously as Indpendence Day II. And it aint over yet.
Are you dunce, a progressive liberal die hard, or both? Turley asked a Q. You ignore the Q and instead list a bunch of DNC talking points completely unrelated to the Q. You lie too, stating “no criticism of Trump” when Turley has criticized him a 100x, including now being in favor of independent counsel. Just not in this post.
You have no idea how tiring is it reading idiots like you who turn every single post into your idyllic “Trump is Hitler and Pol Pot, but worse” meme.
If this was a case of an ex-prosecutor going on TV discussing alleged evidence against an uncharged black, you’d have a cow right here in front of readers. But when it suits your pathetic political psycho drama, full speed ahead.
If enigma is truly sincere in what he writes, then yes— he is a dunce. However, I suspect he only masquerades as an “enigma in black”, and is really more of a “Democratic Party shill in black.”
That is why he has trouble answering direct questions, and plays the race card when his feet are held to the fire.
But, that is just my opinion. He may, in fact, just be a dunce.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Wow Joseph, is everything alright with you? I would love if if Turley stayed around and actually conversed with us instead of leaving posts and moving along, unconcerned with our actual opinions. My reaction to his thoughts about Yates telling truths he thinks she should not was to wonder how he ignores the lies of those still part of the government, for a while at least. Turley has often said he’d do things differently but almost always ultimately sides with Trump on issues.
You seem to be drinking the Squeeky Kool-Aid, making everything a race issue when none was raised.
They are truly racist and proud of it.
Yates is a smart righteous truthsayer. Some of us dudes get bugged by that type of gal. Could be the case.
“Yates is a smart SELF righteous political climber.” FIFY Mike Kelly. Prego.
Mike:
Your comment: “Some of us dudes get bugged by that type of gal.” is so 90’s. The Alan Alda self abasement (otherwise known as Stockholm Syndrome) phenomenon went out of fashion long ago.
Only if this affair results in impaneling a jury. That is not likely.