The Trump administration is denying it tried to block former acting Attorney General Sally Yates from testifying before Congress about Russia.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the administration sought to block Yates from testifying before a House panel on alleged connections between Russian officials and President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. The paper cited Justice Department letters saying much of her potential testimony is covered by presidential communication privilege and barred from being discussed in a congressional hearing.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer released a statement calling the allegation and the Post's story "entirely false."
"The White House has taken no action to prevent Sally Yates from testifying and the Department of Justice specifically told her that it would not stop her and to suggest otherwise is completely irresponsible," Spicer said.
White House says the WaPo story on Yates testimony is "entirely false." pic.twitter.com/CvnSSBpK8T
— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) March 28, 2017
The report will likely anger Democrats about what they view as Republican meddling in the investigation into alleged links between Trump's campaign and Moscow. Yates and others were scheduled to testify this week before the House Intelligence Committee, but that hearing was canceled by chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.), the Post noted.
According to letters the Post reviewed, the Justice Department notified Yates earlier this month that the administration considers a great deal of her possible testimony to be barred from discussion in a congressional hearing because the topics are covered by the presidential communication privilege.
Yates and other former intelligence officials had been asked to testify before the House Intelligence Committee this week, a hearing that was abruptly canceled by the panel's chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.). Yates was the deputy attorney general in the final years of the Obama administration, and served as the acting attorney general in the first days of the Trump administration
Trump fired Yates in January after she ordered Justice Department attorneys not to defend his temporary travel ban order on seven countries with predominantly Muslim populations over terrorism concerns.
The House Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), demanded after the Post report was published that Yates should "be permitted to testify freely and openly," appearing to ignore the White House's denial.
BREAKING: House Intel's top Democrat Adam Schiff now demanding Sally Yates "be permitted to testify freely and openly."
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) March 28, 2017