Who is Sally Yates? Cornell rape-review pick was fired by Trump after refusing to defend travel ban

President Barack Obama nominated Yates as deputy attorney general in January 2015, and the Senate confirmed her four months later in an 84-12 vote. She previously served as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, a position Obama appointed her to in 2010.

During the presidential transition, Trump's incoming administration asked Yates to remain as acting attorney general while his nominee, Jeff Sessions, awaited Senate confirmation. But her tenure lasted just 10 days.

Trump fired Yates on Jan. 30, 2017, after she instructed Justice Department lawyers not to defend his executive order restricting travel and refugee admissions from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

"The acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States," the White House said in a statement announcing her firing.

Yates maintained that she was not convinced the directive was lawful.

Flynn had discussed Obama administration sanctions against Russia with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016, despite then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence publicly denying that sanctions were discussed.

After reviewing FBI intelligence, Yates warned McGahn that Flynn had misled administration officials and could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail because Moscow knew what had actually been discussed.

Flynn resigned in February 2017, 18 days after Yates' initial warning. He later pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about his conversations with Kislyak.

Before her confrontation with Trump, Yates spent 27 years at the Justice Department, prosecuting white-collar fraud and public corruption cases. She also served as lead prosecutor in the case against Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph, a prosecution then-Attorney General Eric Holder highlighted when Obama selected her as deputy attorney general.

Yates returned to King & Spalding as a partner in May 2018, later leading an independent investigation into sexual misconduct and abuse in the National Women's Soccer League.

Commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation in October 2021, the investigation included more than 200 interviews and uncovered widespread verbal and emotional abuse, sexual misconduct and repeated failures by teams and league officials to address complaints.

Cornell said it selected Yates and her firm because of "their expertise in higher education and extensive experience conducting independent investigations for boards and institutions."

Yates' involvement in the case brings another prominent Trump adversary into the controversy, days after New York Attorney General Letitia James, who previously brought a civil fraud case against Trump and has faced his calls for her prosecution, was appointed to oversee a separate state investigation.

Cornell previously investigated the alleged assault and imposed suspensions and expulsions on several students accused of involvement. A lawsuit filed against the university by the alleged victim has since brought renewed national attention to the case and raised questions about the school's response.

The two investigations have separate mandates. James' investigation will examine the case at the center of the controversy, while Yates' review will assess Cornell's broader policies and handling of sexual assault and dating violence allegations.

Fox News Digital reached out to Yates for comment.