11 Things to Know About Sally Yates

ATLANTA, GA — A political firestorm churning in Washington and rippling across the nation this week has an Atlantan at its core: Sally Quillian Yates, who has served more than two decades as a prosecutor in Georgia.

As acting U.S. attorney general, Yates defied the Trump administration's controversial immigration ban, saying that "At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities of the Department of Justice, nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful."

Retribution came swift: Yates was fired Monday by President Trump and replaced hours later by Dana Boente, who like Yates, is an Obama administration appointee.

Here are 11 things to know about Yates:

She prompted an extraordinary White House response: At the Justice Department late Monday, Yates was handed a letter that she was fired. In a public statement, the White House claimed Yates had "betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States." The statement went on to claim that the Obama appointee was "weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration."

She already has the attention of some Democrats in Georgia: AJC political reporter Greg Bluestein reported Monday night that there was already chatter among state party members to get Yates back to Georgia and on the ballot for statewide elected office.

She had already said she would defy an unlawful executive order: During her 2015 confirmation hearing to be the U.S. Deputy Attorney General, it was Sen. Jeff Sessions — expected to be confirmed Tuesday as Trump's attorney general — who asked Yates if she would refuse an order by the president. "I believe that the attorney general or the deputy attorney general has an obligation to follow the law and the constitution and to give their independent legal advice to the president," she responded.

She was born in Atlanta, with the law in her blood: Her father, J. Kelley Quillian, served on the Court of Appeals from 1966 to 1984.

She's a UGA Bulldog: Yates earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1982 from UGA; she went to the university's law school and graduated magna cum laude two years later.

She had only been on the job a little more than a week: She was asked by the Trump Administration to serve as acting U.S. attorney general on Jan. 20 until a successor could be confirmed.

She is well-versed in prosecuting terrorism cases: Yates was the lead prosecutor in the high-profile case of Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph. “She did a phenomenal job putting that difficult, complicated case together,” former FBI director Louis J. Freeh told the Washington Post.

She made history in Atlanta: Yates was appointed as the U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Georgia in 2010, the first woman ever to serve in the position.

She ran the DOJ's day-to-day operations: When Yates was confirmed as U.S. Deputy Attorney General in May 2015, she became the second-highest-ranking person in the Justice Department.

She still has Eric Holder's support: The former head of the DOJ tweeted Monday that Yates is a "person of high integrity ... with great legal skill."

Legislators are applauding her: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said what Yates did was "a profile in courage. It was a brave act and a right act."

Image via Dept. of Justice