WATCH- Spicer on Fired Appointees: Mike Flynn Is ‘A Good Man’ but Sally Yates Is ‘A Political Opponent of the President’

Smearing a Good Woman? That’s A-OK With Spicer.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer offered an interesting classification of two Trump administration appointees who were fired early during President Trump’s tenure. 

Retired Lt. General Mike Flynn, after being fired finally registered retroactively as an agent of a foreign government for having been paid well over a half-million dollars for lobbying efforts on behalf of the government of Turkey, and for a speech he gave to Russia propaganda machine RT. Flynn also reportedly did not disclose payments he received, as required on government forms. He also apparently neglected to sign a Trump White House ethics pledge banning administration members from lobbying for five years after leaving the White House. He had already been fired by President Barack Obama.

Flynn was identified by then-Acting Attorney General Sally Yates as having been compromised by the Russian government, and susceptible to blackmail. 

On Tuesday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer referred to Flynn as “a good man” who “honorably served” and whom the President does not want to “smear.” 

Sally Yates is an almost life-long public servant who began her career by spending three years at a prestigious law firm before, in 1989, moving to the public sector by becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Georgia. She worked her way up to becoming Deputy Attorney General, which required a Senate confirmation, which she earned in 2015 (84-12). She became Acting Attorney General on January 20 upon being promoted by President Trump to fill outgoing AG Loretta Lynch’s role.

On Tuesday afternoon, Sean Spicer characterized Yates not as a “good woman” or someone who served her country honorably – she had never been fired by the government. Instead, Spicer called Yates “a political opponent of the President” who was a “strong supporter of Clinton.” (Note: Not “Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,” just “Clinton.”)

Spicer also, apparently out of thin air, claimed “it was widely rumored” Yates would have a role in the Clinton administration. There does not appear to be any evidence to support that claim.

Boston Globe Deputy Washington Bureau Chief Matt Viser noted on Twitter there is no evidence to suggest Sally Yates donated to the Hillary Clinton campaign:

In fact, Viser notes Yates herself wrote a memo to all DOJ employees warning them of engaging in political activities:

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