De bevoi SE Debevoise Plimpton LLP - 801 Avenue. N.W. Impton Washington. D.C. 20004 +1 202 333 8000 March 23, 2017 Samuel R. Ramer Acting Assistant Attorney General US. Department of Justice Of?ce of Legislative Affairs Main Justice Building, Room 1145 950 Avenue, NW. Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Ramer: I represent Sally Quillian Yates in connection with the attached letter from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) inviting Ms. Yates to testify at a public hearing on March 28, 2017. As you know, Ms. Yates served the Department of Justice with distinction for over twenty seven years, rising through the ranks from Assistant United States Attorney to First Assistant United States Attorney, and then to United States Attorney, Deputy Attorney General, and most recently Acting Attorney General. Throughout her career, Ms. Yates has unfailingly honored her professional and ethical responsibilities. The Committee has indicated that the hearing will cover topics including the following: ?Russian cyber activities directed against the US. election, potential links between Russia and individuals associated with political campaigns, the US Government?s response to these Russian active measures, and related leaks of classified information.? In addition, Committee staff has indicated that questioning will focus on January 2017 communications regarding concerns about the conduct of a senior government of?cial. As communicated to Committee staff, Ms. Yates is willing to appear voluntarily at the hearing on a panel with two other former intelligence officials. In answering the Committee?s questions, Ms. Yates obviously will not disclose any classi?ed information, nor will she provide any information that she believes could interfere with any ongoing criminal or intelligence investigations. Samuel R. Ramer 2 March 23, 2017 The Department of Justice has advised that it believes there are further constraints on the testimony Ms. Yates may provide at the HPSCI hearing. Generally, we understand that the Department takes the position that all information Ms. Yates received or actions she took in her capacity as Deputy Attorney General and Acting Attorney General are client con?dences that she may not disclose absent written consent of the Department. We believe that the Department?s position in this regard is overbroad, incorrect, and inconsistent with the Department?s historical approach to the congressional testimony of current and former senior of?cials. In particular, we believe that Ms. Yates should not be obligated to refuse to provide non-classi?ed facts about the Department?s noti?cation to the White House of concerns about the conduct of a senior of?cial. Requiring Ms. Yates to refuse to provide such information is particularly untenable given that multiple senior administration of?cials have publicly described the same events. In light of those public statements, it is unclear what con?dentiality interests the Department believes may still exist concerning these events. To the extent the Department believes that consent is necessary to permit Ms. Yates to testify in the manner described above, we are hereby requesting it. Regards, ?g 11. MAO David A. O'Neil Enclosure