Judicial Watch Sues Justice Department For Sally Yates Emails

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By Thomas Phippen

Conservative watchdog Judicial Watch is suing the Department of Justice for emails that could reveal what former acting Attorney General Sally Yates knew about alleged connections between Russia and the Trump administration.

Judicial Watch filed the freedom of information act lawsuit just before Yates is scheduled to testify before the Senate Monday on alleged connections between President Donald Trump’s team and Russia, Politico reports. (RELATED: Former Top Justice Dept Official Sally Yates To Testify On Flynn, Russia)

Yates reportedly warned the Trump administration about improper connections between Trump’s former national security advisor General Mike Flynn. Judicial Watch filed their initial FOIA request for Yates’ emails roughly two weeks before the Washington Post first reported that she tried to warn the administration about Flynn’s ties.

Yates, who was appointed to the Justice Department by former President Barack Obama, became acting attorney general after Trump’s inauguration. She refused to enforce Trump’s first immigration executive order, and the administration let her go Feb. 13.

Yates met with White House Counsel Don McGahn Jan. 26 to discuss Flynn’s contact with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. Yates reportedly told McGahn that Flynn’s account of the relationship with Kislyak was inaccurate, potentially compromising the presidents top security advisor.

Trump said that Yates may have leaked classified information to reporters, and suggested that Senators should ask her how the information ended up in papers after her meeting with McGahn. “Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Council [sic],” Trump tweeted Monday before Yates’ testimony. (RELATED: Trump Implies Sally Yates Leaked Classified Information)

Judicial Watch requested Yates’ emails from January 20 to January 31, her first days leading the Department of Justice. The Justice Department did not decide whether to comply with the request by March 2, Judicial Watch claims in its lawsuit, filed Friday.