Colonel William A. Phillips

Stephen J. Yates is an American political advisor and government official who last served as the president of Radio Free Asia.[2] He previously served as the deputy national security adviser to the Vice President to Dick Cheney from 2001 to 2005[3] and chairman of the Idaho Republican Party from 2014 to 2017.[4] He is the CEO of consulting firm, DC International Advisory and has been in that position since 2006.

Early life and education

Yates attended Brigham Young University and served as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan from 1987 to 1989. He speaks fluent Mandarin and his Chinese name is "葉望輝" (Yè Wànghuī).[citation needed] He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese language and literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Master of Arts in Chinese studies from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.[5][6]

Career

Yates worked for the National Security Agency under the United States Department of Defense; he served as a liaison officer to the Department of Commerce.[7] He was a senior policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation from 1996 to 2001;[8] and served as deputy national security advisor to the Vice President to Dick Cheney from 2001 to 2005.[3]

From 2005 to 2006, Yates served has a lobbyist and vice president of the global affairs practice[9] for Barbour Griffith & Rogers, whose clients included; Taiwan, The Indonesian National Shipowners' Association, Moneygram International, Lebanon's National Dialogue Party, The Republic of India British Nuclear Fuels, Plc. (via a contract with Sutherland Asbill & Brennan).[10][11]

Yates is the founder and CEO at DC International Advisory since 2006, a consulting firm advises on managing international political risk and business opportunity.[12][13] He is also a professor of the practice with the International Business Program at Boise State University.[14] Currently, he is a distinguished Fellow at the Hamilton Foundation.[15]

Yates serves as a senior fellow and chair of the China Policy Initiative at the America First Policy Institute as of 2022.[16]

Political career

Yates advised the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign's Asia team.[citation needed] He served in the 2008 Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign as a senior Asia adviser.[17] He served in the 2012 Newt Gingrich presidential campaign as a part of the National Security Advisory team[18] and director.[19] He briefly ran for Idaho Republican Party national committeeman at the July 2020 convention.[20]

Idaho Republican Party chair

Yates was elected chairman of the Idaho Republican Party in August 2014[21][22] and was re elected in 2016;[23] he stepped down on April 24, 2017, to pursue the 2018 Idaho lieutenant gubernatorial primary election.[4] David Johnston (2014–2017)[24][4] and Lyndel Strong (2017)[4] were the executive directors.

Idaho Lieutenant Governor primary election, 2018

Yates sought and lost narrowly the 2018 Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Idaho to Janice McGeachin.[25][26]

Days before the election, a flyer attacking Yates was mailed to Idaho voters, claiming hidden foreign influence and conflating support from democratic Taiwan with that from communist China. The flyer mailing was sourced to a PAC funded by three political opponents from Yates' past.[27]

Radio Free Asia

In December 2020, Yates was appointed by Michael Pack as the president of Radio Free Asia, a government–funded, nonprofit international broadcasting corporation.[2] In January 2021, he and other leaders associated with the prior presidential administration were fired by Pack's successor, acting CEO of U.S. Agency for Global Media, Kelu Chao.[28]

Personal life

Yates and his ex-wife Diana Kilbourn adopted two children.[7]

Election history

District 30 House Seat B – Part of Bonneville County
Year Candidate Votes Pct Candidate Votes Pct
2014 Primary[29] Stephen Yates 2,323 48.9% Jeff Thompson (incumbent) 2,431 51.1%
Idaho Lieutenant Governor Republican primary, 2018[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Janice McGeachin 51,079 28.9
Republican Steve Yates 48,221 27.3
Republican Marv Hagedorn 26,640 15.1
Republican Bob Nonini 26,517 15.0
Republican Kelley Packer 24,294 13.7

References

  1. ^ Guilhem, Matt (July 14, 2017). "Idaho's Former GOP Boss To Begin Lt. Governor Campaign". KBSX News. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Stephen Yates joins U.S. international broadcasting as President of RFA". U.S. Agency for Global Media. December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "The 2016 GOP Platform". United States Department of State. July 20, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d John Sowell, Idaho Statesman. "Idaho Republican Party Chairman Will Step down, May Run for Lieutenant Governor." Idaho Statesman, The (Boise, ID), 2017.
  5. ^ "Meet Republican Steve Yates". yatesforidaho.com. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  6. ^ ROCKY BARKER, Rbarker@idahostatesman.com. "Rocky Barker: 377-6484: Idaho GOP Emerges from Turmoil – After a Fiasco of a State Convention and Infighting, a New Chairman Helped Build a Well-Oiled Machine." Idaho Statesman, The (Boise, ID), 2014.
  7. ^ a b Bill Dentzer, Idaho Statesman. "Steve Yates' Curious Journey from Taiwan to Idaho Falls, via the White House." Idaho Statesman, The (Boise, ID), 2016.
  8. ^ "Stephen Yates and Christian Whiton". HuffPost. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  9. ^ "APPOINTMENTS". The Washington Post. October 3, 2005. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  10. ^ "Lobbying Spending Database Yates, Steve, 2006 | OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  11. ^ "Lobbying Spending Database Yates, Steve, 2005 | OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  12. ^ "Stephen J. Yates, Chief Executive Officer". DC International Advisory. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  13. ^ Bill Dentzer, Idaho Statesman. "Idaho GOP Chairman Yates: I Didn't Arrange Trump's Taiwan Call." Idaho Statesman, The (Boise, ID), 2016.
  14. ^ "Professor of the Practice, Stephen Yates Will be Working with International Business Program Students". Boise State University. August 2, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  15. ^ "Stephen Yates". Boise State University. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  16. ^ "Our Team: Chairs". America First Policy Institute. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  17. ^ "Rudy Giuliani: Press Release – Rudy Giuliani Unveils Foreign Policy Advisors". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  18. ^ "Gingrich Announces National Security Advisory Team | Newt Gingrich 2012". February 7, 2012. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  19. ^ Whiton, Christian (September 30, 2013). Smart Power: Between Diplomacy and War. Potomac Books, Inc. ISBN 9781612346199.
  20. ^ columnist, ANTHONY TIRINO | Republican (July 1, 2020). "Republican convention unites in support of Trump". Post Register. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  21. ^ Sven Berg, Sberg@idahostatesman.com. "Sven Berg: 377-6275: Yates Settles into Role as Idaho Republican Party Chairman – The Former Dick Cheney Aide Has Political Experience, If Not Age, on His Side." Idaho Statesman, The (Boise, ID), 2014.
  22. ^ "New GOP Chairman Hopeful Emerges, Fox News Regular and Former Cheney Aide." Idaho Statesman, The: Blogs (Boise, ID), 2014.
  23. ^ "Idaho GOP convention smoother this time around". Spokesman.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  24. ^ "Former Idaho GOP director signs on as campaign manager for Ahlquist for governor campaign". Spokesman.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  25. ^ Russell, Betsy Z. (July 18, 2017). "Yates launches lt. gov. campaign, joining crowded race". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  26. ^ a b Almukhtar, Sarah; Andrews, Wilson; Bloch, Matthew; Bowers, Jeremy; Giratikanon, Tom; Lee, Jasmine C.; Murray, Paul (May 17, 2018). "Idaho Primary Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  27. ^ Russell, Betsy Z. (May 10, 2018). "Smear flier targets GOP lieutenant governor hopeful Yates". Idaho Press-Tribune. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  28. ^ Folkenflik, David (January 22, 2021). "USAGM Chief Fires Trump Allies Over Radio Free Europe And Other Networks". NPR. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  29. ^ Ysursa, Ben. "May 20, 2014 General Election Results: Legislative Totals". Boise, Idaho: Secretary of State of Idaho. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2018.

External links