Sally Yates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sally Yates
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| Acting United States Attorney General | |
| In office January 20, 2017 – January 30, 2017 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Loretta Lynch |
| Succeeded by | Dana Boente (acting) |
| 36th United States Deputy Attorney General | |
| In office January 10, 2015 – January 30, 2017 |
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| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | James M. Cole |
| Succeeded by | Rod Rosenstein |
| United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia | |
| In office March 10, 2010 – January 10, 2015 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | David Nahmias |
| Succeeded by | John A. Horn |
| In office Acting: July 1, 2004 – December 1, 2004 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | William S. Duffey Jr. |
| Succeeded by | David Nahmias |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sally Caroline Quillian
August 20, 1960 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Comer Yates |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Georgia (BA, JD) |
Sally Quillian Yates (born August 20, 1960) is an American lawyer. She held important roles in the Justice Department. From 2010 to 2015, she was a United States Attorney in Georgia.
In 2015, President Barack Obama chose her to be the United States Deputy Attorney General. This is the second-highest job in the Justice Department. After President Donald Trump took office in 2017, Yates served as the Acting United States Attorney General for 10 days.
President Trump fired Yates on January 30, 2017. This happened after she told the Justice Department not to defend a new travel ban. She believed the order was not legal or fair. Even though parts of the ban were stopped by courts, a changed version was later approved by the Supreme Court. After being fired, Yates went back to working as a private lawyer.
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Early Life and Education
Sally Yates was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her father, John Kelley Quillian, was a lawyer and a judge. Her mother, Xara "Mickey" Quillian, was an interior designer. Sally's grandmother was one of the first women allowed to practice law in Georgia.
Yates went to Dunwoody High School. She then studied at the University of Georgia. In 1982, she earned a degree in journalism. She later got her law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1986. She graduated with high honors. While in law school, she was an editor for the Georgia Law Review.
Career in Law
In 1986, Sally Yates became a licensed lawyer in Georgia. She worked at a law firm in Atlanta from 1986 to 1989. There, she focused on business lawsuits.
Federal Prosecutor Role
In 1989, Yates started working as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. She worked for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Northern Georgia. Early in her career, she handled many types of cases. These included cases about financial fraud and political corruption. In 1994, she became the head of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section. She was a lead prosecutor in a major terrorism case. She moved up to First Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2002. In 2004, she became Acting U.S. Attorney. She held leadership roles under both Republican and Democratic presidents.
President Barack Obama nominated Yates to be the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. The Senate approved her on March 10, 2010. She was the first woman to hold that job in Northern Georgia. During her time as U.S. Attorney, she also helped advise the Attorney General.
Deputy Attorney General
On May 13, 2015, the U.S. Senate voted to approve Yates as Deputy Attorney General. This is the second-highest job in the Justice Department. During her approval hearing, she was asked if she would ever refuse an unlawful order from a president. She said she would always follow the law and the Constitution. She also said she would give independent legal advice. She worked under Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
As Deputy Attorney General, Yates managed the daily work of the Justice Department. This department had about 113,000 employees. In 2015, she created a policy called the "Yates memo." This policy focused on prosecuting company leaders for business crimes. Before the Obama administration ended, she reviewed many requests for presidential pardons. She then made recommendations to the President.
Acting Attorney General
In January 2017, Sally Yates agreed to be the Acting Attorney General. She took over on January 20, 2017. She was to serve until a new Attorney General was approved by the Senate.
On January 5, 2017, Yates met with other top officials. They briefed President Obama on matters related to Russia. Later, Yates warned the Trump administration about National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. She said Flynn had not been honest about his talks with Russia. She also said he could be blackmailed by Russian intelligence. Her warning was not acted on right away. But it was later reported by The Washington Post on February 13, 2017. Flynn resigned just hours later.
On January 27, 2017, President Trump signed Executive Order 13769. This order limited travel to the U.S. from several countries. It also had other rules. The Justice Department's legal team had approved the order. However, Yates told the Justice Department not to defend it in court. She believed the order was not lawful. She wrote a letter to Justice Department staff. In it, she said:
I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with the responsibilities of the Department of Justice. 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 th[is] executive order.
In a New York Times article in July 2017, Yates shared her concerns. She wrote that President Trump's actions seemed to be trying to harm the Justice Department's independence. She stressed that investigations must be free from political influence.
Dismissal from Office
After Yates announced her decision, the Trump administration immediately fired her. She was replaced by Dana Boente. After taking office, Boente ordered the Justice Department to enforce the executive order.
The White House released a statement. It said Yates had "betrayed the Department of Justice." It claimed she refused to enforce a legal order meant to protect U.S. citizens. The statement also called her "an Obama administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration."
Public Reactions
Some legal experts thought Yates should have resigned instead of refusing to defend the order. They called it "insubordination." However, many other legal experts praised Yates. They admired her for standing up against what they saw as an unconstitutional order. Many also felt that Trump's words about "betrayal" were too harsh.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder supported Yates's decision. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called her actions "a profile in courage." He said it was "a brave act and a right act." Representative John Conyers criticized her firing. He said if officials think Trump's orders are unlawful, he just fires them "as if government is a reality show."
Some compared Yates's dismissal to the 1973 Saturday Night Massacre. During that event, two top Justice Department officials resigned. They refused President Richard Nixon's order to fire a special prosecutor. However, journalist Carl Bernstein said there was a big difference. He noted that Nixon was being investigated himself. He also said the president has the right to fire the Attorney General.
Representative Jackie Speier nominated Yates for the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. A Georgia State Senator also praised Yates. Some Democrats in Georgia tried to get Yates to run for Governor in 2018.
Testimonies in Congress
House Intelligence Committee
In March 2017, Yates was asked to speak before the House Intelligence Committee. This was part of their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
Later that month, The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration tried to stop her from testifying. They claimed her testimony about Michael Flynn might be protected by presidential privilege. The hearing where Yates was supposed to speak was canceled.
Senate Judiciary Committee
On May 8, 2017, Yates spoke for three hours before the Senate Judiciary's Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. She testified about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Yates said the FBI interviewed Michael Flynn on January 24, 2017. Because of that interview, she urgently asked to meet with White House Counsel Don McGahn. She met with him on January 26 and 27. She told McGahn that Flynn was "compromised" and could be blackmailed by the Russians. She also said Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his talks with the Russian ambassador.
After the Justice Department
After leaving the Justice Department, Yates became a lecturer at Georgetown University Law Center. She also returned to her old law firm, King & Spalding, in Atlanta. Her work there focuses on investigations.
Yates gave a speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. In September 2020, she joined the advisory council for the Biden-Harris Transition Team. This team planned for Joe Biden to become president. In November, Yates was considered for Attorney General in the Biden administration. However, Merrick Garland was chosen instead.
Honors and Recognition
In January 2016, Yates received an award from Emory University School of Law. After she was fired as Acting Attorney General, Representative Jackie Speier nominated her for the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. A Georgia State Senator also introduced a resolution praising Yates. In April 2017, Yates received the Mary Church Terrell Freedom and Justice Award.
In Film
Actress Holly Hunter plays Sally Yates in the 2020 TV miniseries The Comey Rule.
Personal Life
Sally Yates's husband is J. Comer Yates. He is the executive director of the Atlanta Speech School. They have two children, a daughter named Kelley Malone and a son named James "Quill" Quillian.
Yates is a member of the Democratic Party. However, she worked in the Justice Department under both Democratic and Republican administrations. She was hired for her first Justice Department job by Republican Bob Barr. When she was appointed Deputy Attorney General in 2014, she was seen as well-respected and not overly political. Her appointment was praised by Georgia's two senators, who were both Republicans.
See also
In Spanish: Sally Yates para niños
