US President Donald Trump has fired the acting Attorney General after she refused to defend his controversial order to ban Muslim.
Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, a Democratic appointee, has directed Justice Department attorneys not to defend Trump’s so called ‘Muslim ban’ on Monday. She said she was not convinced the order was lawful. She was accused by the Trump administration of betraying’ America for her refucal to defend the President’s controversial order .
Tonight, Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has been appointed as her replacement until Senator Jeff Sessions is confirmed by the Senate.
Democrats have been fighting tooth and nail to keep Sessions out of the Cabinet, with many threatening to delay following his ban on immigrants and refugees from certain countries.
Yates has written a letter to lawyers explaining: ‘My responsibility is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts.’
‘In addition, I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution’s solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right,’ she continued.
‘At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful,’ she concluded.
A statement from the White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer stated that Yates has ‘betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States.’
