Press Secretary Spicer on former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates: "I hope she testifies. I look forward to it" https://t.co/BVXWWmtVH1
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) March 28, 2017
UPDATE 1:19 p.m. EST:
Spicer weighed in.
Former deputy attorney general Sally Yates had been asked to testify before the House Intelligence Committee this week, but that meeting was canceled by Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA).
The Washington Post reports that cancellation was part of an effort by the Trump administration to keep Yates from testifying in the investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Yates was fired for ordering lawyers not to defend the original version of Trump's travel ban in court.
According to letters obtained by the Post, the Justice Department considers much of Yates' testimony likely to be barred from discussion at a hearing under presidential communication privilege.
Yates was also pivotal in the investigation into former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was ousted after revealing that he had discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak.
NEW: @RepAdamSchiff urges that former acting AG Sally Yates "be permitted to testify freely and openly" on former NSA Michael Flynn's firing pic.twitter.com/2DVHcMHQ0h
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 28, 2017
Ranking committee member Adam Schiff (D-CA) urged the committee to let her testify.
WH official denies wapo story that it blocked Yates from testifying. Per @kwelkernbc pic.twitter.com/mbkeFiQc0v
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) March 28, 2017
The White House called the Post story "entirely false" in a statement.
In the letters obtained by the Post, Yates' attorney David O'Neil described the Department of Justice's position on Yates, which he described as "overbroad, incorrect and inconsistent."
Scott Schools, a Justice Department official, replied that Yates' conversations with the White House were "likely covered by the presidential communications privileges." O'Neil then said any claim of privilege had been "waived," but that he would tell the White House that Yates intended to testify. That day, the hearing was canceled.
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