Yates: “Our loyalty at the Department of Justice should be to the people of the United States” and not the President https://t.co/Egxsikq2f8
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 17, 2017
Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates says it was “inappropriate” for President Trump to demand a pledge of loyalty from former FBI Director James Comey.
“I wouldn’t have done it,” she said Tuesday on CNN when asked if she would have pledged loyalty to Trump. “It’s inappropriate.
“Our loyalty at the Department of Justice should be to the people of United States and to the law and the Constitution, and no one and nothing else.”
{mosads}Yates, who was fired in January for refusing to defend Trump’s travel ban executive order, added that she admires Comey, calling him a “straight shooter” and “a very qualified and talented guy.”
Comey’s ouster last week came amid the FBI’s probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, including possible ties between Russia and Trump’s campaign.
The report, published first by The New York Times, said that Trump pressed Comey to pledge his loyalty shortly after his January inauguration. Comey refused.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer last Friday denied that Trump asked Comey to promise him loyalty.
“No,” he said when asked if Trump made that demand. “The president wants loyalty to this country and the rule of law.”
Trump said last Saturday that there is nothing “inappropriate” about asking for a FBI director’s loyalty, while denying he sought Comey’s.
“I don’t think it’s inappropriate, number one,” Trump said on Fox News before denying he made such a request to Comey. “No, I didn’t [ask him to pledge his loyalty]. But I don’t think it would be a bad question to ask. I think loyalty to the country, loyalty to the United States is important.”