| Stephen J. Yates | |
| Office: | President of Radio Free Asia |
| Term Start: | December 2020 |
| Term End: | January 22, 2021 |
| Appointed: | Michael Pack |
| Predecessor: | Bay Fang |
| Successor: | Bay Fang |
| Office1: | Chair of the Idaho Republican Party |
| Term Start1: | August 2014 |
| Term End1: | July 2017 |
| Predecessor1: | Barry Peterson |
| Successor1: | Jonathan Parker |
| Birth Date: | [1] |
| Party: | Republican |
| Education: | University of Maryland, College Park (BA) Johns Hopkins University (MA) |
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.
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). 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]
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.
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]
Yates advised the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign's Asia team. 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]
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.
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]
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]
Yates and his ex-wife Diana Kilbourn adopted two children.
| Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Primary[29] | align="right" | 2,323 | 48.9% | align="right" | 2,431 | 51.1% |