FOX News: Yates: Comey went 'rogue' with Flynn interview
Yates defended the investigation, but took issue with how Comey handled it.
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that when the FBI interviewed then-incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn in January 2017, it was done without her authorization, and that she was upset when she found out about it.
Committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Yates about the circumstances surrounding the interview, particularly the actions of then-FBI Director James Comey.
"I was upset that Director Comey didn't coordinate that with us and acted unilaterally," Yates said.
"Did Comey go rogue?" Graham asked.
"You could use that term, yes," Yates agreed.
Yates said she also took issue with Comey for not telling her that Flynn's communications with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were being investigated and that she first learned about this from President Barack Obama during an Oval Office meeting. Yates said she was "irritated" with Comey for not telling her about this earlier.
That meeting, which took place on Jan. 5, 2017, was of great interest to Graham, who wanted to know why Obama knew about Flynn's conversations before she did. Graham and other Republicans have speculated that Obama wanted Flynn investigated for nefarious purposes. Yates claimed that this was not the case, and explained why Obama was aware of the calls at the time.
Yates said that after Obama placed sanctions on Russia, the Kremlin vowed to take retaliatory action, only to suddenly change course. She said Obama wanted to find out why, which led to the Justice Department discovering Flynn's talks with Kislyak.
Read more ....
Update #1: Yates says Obama, Biden didn’t influence Flynn investigation (Politico)
Update #2: Ex-Justice Dept. official says Michael Flynn secretly ‘neutered’ Obama’s moves on Russia (Washington Post)
WNU Editor: President Obama ran a very tight ship. No one went rogue under his administration, and those who did were quickly fired/replaced. So did the former FBI Director go rogue? I have trouble believing that. On another note and one that everyone in the media is ignoring .... former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates confirmed in today's testimony that the Obama administration did monitor incoming Trump administration official General Flynn.
