This book is the product of over two years of reporting, which included scores of interviews, the review of thousands of pages of transcripts, and research into published sources. These events have been the subject of numerous congressional hearings. Fortunately, many of those transcripts have been made public, including those from closed-door sessions, which provided a rich source of sworn testimony from which to draw.
Many of these events have also been the subject of outstanding reporting by my fellow journalists. I have cited their work in the notes that follow. The work of my Times colleagues Michael Schmidt and Adam Goldman, who were part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for coverage of the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, has been exemplary. Reporters from The Washington Post also deserve recognition for their numerous scoops. The Times’s and Post’s coverage is cited disproportionately below.
Nearly all my interviews were on a not-for-attribution basis, which isn’t surprising given the current political climate. Many people named either are the subject of ongoing investigations or fear they will be. Given Trump’s vow to find and punish the “traitors” involved in investigating him, these fears appear to be only too well founded. To the extent sources are quoted by name directly in the text, other than from transcripts or published sources, they are from on-the-record interviews.
I have also used dialogue throughout. What words were spoken are facts like any others. Many are from transcripts or recordings. In those instances I have generally corrected grammatical errors and deleted repeated words and verbal tics. Others are based on the recollections of participants in the conversations. Some dialogue was included in official reports, such as the Mueller report.
I’m grateful to the many people who agreed to be interviewed, in some cases on many occasions and at great length. It took courage and trust on their part to speak to a reporter and author who, in most cases, they’d never met. I hope the day comes when they can reveal themselves without fear of retribution.
Introduction
all white males: “Directors, Then and Now,” FBI.gov.
the election made him “nauseous”: Comey remarks at Senate Judiciary Committee, May 3, 2017.
published a controversial “dossier”: “These Reports Allege Trump Has Deep Ties to Russia,” BuzzFeed News, January 10, 2017.
formal FBI investigation into possible collusion: House Intelligence Committee hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, March 20, 2017.
new mission statement: James Comey, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership (New York: Flatiron Books, 2018), p. 263.
“JAMES COMEY RESIGNS”: “Did Fox News Report That James Comey Resigned?,” Snopes, May 10, 2017.
“TRUMP FIRES FBI DIRECTOR COMEY”: CNN, May 9, 2017.
As McCabe walked in: Andrew McCabe, The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2019), 8.
“No,” Rosenstein interjected: Ibid., 10.
“Today, President Donald J. Trump informed”: “Statement from the Press Secretary,” May 9, 2017.
Once outside, he fielded calls: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 264–65.
The two communicated constantly: “Peter Strzok–Lisa Page Texts,” FBI Archives.
At 8:40 p.m., he texted Page: Ibid.
had sent a letter to Trump the prior year: Memorandum, June 8, 2018.
four-page letter to congressional leaders: William Barr to Lindsey Graham et al., March 24, 2019.
“complete and total exoneration”: “Remarks by President Trump Before Air Force One Departure,” Whitehouse.gov, March 24, 2019.
“It was an illegal investigation”: “Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure,” Whitehouse.gov, April 10, 2019.
“I think spying did occur”: “Justice Department Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Request,” C-SPAN, April 10, 2019.
Chapter One: “Nobody Gets Out Alive”
Obama said he’d seek: “Obama Seeking Extension for Director of F.B.I.,” New York Times, May 12, 2011.
Comey wasn’t exactly a clone of Mueller: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 5–14.
“You did not shade”: Garrett M. Graff, The Threat Matrix: The FBI at War in the Age of Terror (New York: Little, Brown, 2011), 492.
“standing for something. Making a difference”: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 13.
“Perhaps because I did survive”: Graff, Threat Matrix, 290.
As Mueller told graduates: “Robert Mueller’s 2013 Commencement Remarks,” College of William & Mary, May 12, 2013.
“I don’t care about politics”: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 94.
“Like those before us”: “American Civil Liberties Union 2003 Inaugural Membership Conference,” June 13, 2003, FBI.gov.
“whole life was about doing things”: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 88.
“Thousands of people are going to die”: Ibid., 86.
Comey reached Ashcroft’s room: U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the U.S. attorney firings, May 15, 2007.
Mueller arrived a few minutes later: Robert Swan Mueller Program Log, March 10, 2004.
“the law had held”: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 91.
“Here I stand”: Ibid., 96.
“some officials familiar with the continuing”: “Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Caller Without Courts,” New York Times, December 16, 2005.
“contrary to Hollywood-style myth”: Alberto R. Gonzales, True Faith and Allegiance: A Story of Service and Sacrifice in War and Peace (Nashville: Nelson Books, 2016).
Gonzales never recovered politically: “Embattled Attorney General Resigns,” New York Times, August 27, 2007.
“a near contempt for partisan politics”: “Is James Comey Too Self-Righteous to Save Us from Terror?,” Newsweek, June 5, 2013.
“The biggest of Mr. Comey’s misjudgments”: “The Political Mr. Comey,” Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2013.
This time Eric Holder: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 118–20.
“I need to sleep at night”: Ibid., 119.
“Once you are director”: Ibid., 120.
“I know that everyone here joins me”: “Remarks by the President at Nomination of James Comey as Director of the FBI,” Whitehouse.gov, June 21, 2013.
“there were only the two of you”: McCabe, Threat, 166.
after an “exhaustive” investigation: “Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11–12, 2012,” U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, November 21, 2014.
Clinton answered reporters’ questions: “Hillary Clinton Tries to Quell Controversy over Private Email,” New York Times, March 10, 2015.
“It took eight days”: “Hillary Clinton Formally Announces 2016 Run,” Politico, April 12, 2015.
“improbable quest”: “Donald Trump, Pushing Someone Rich, Offers Himself,” New York Times, June 16, 2015.
“an uphill battle”: “Donald Trump Announces Presidential Bid,” Washington Post, June 16, 2015.
honoring David Margolis’s fifty years: “Associate Deputy Attorney General David Margolis’ 50th Anniversary at the Department of Justice—Part 2,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 17, 2015.
he made a formal referral: “Clinton E-mail Investigation: Mishandling of Classified—Unknown Subject or Country (SIM),” U.S. Department of Justice, July 2016.
“sensitive investigative matter”: (U) Sensitive Investigative Matter/Academic Nexus, “Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide,” Federal Bureau of Investigation.
the FBI operating manual: “Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, 10-1.
“was considered one of, if not the foremost”: Interview of Edward William Priestap, U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, 31.
“You know you are totally screwed”: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 168.
Chapter Two: “The Doors That Led to Hell”
Less than two weeks after the Clinton email referral: “Inquiry Sought in Hillary Clinton’s Use of Email,” New York Times, July 23, 2015.
the Espionage Act: The Espionage Act of 1917, University of Houston Digital History.
“gross negligence”: Title 18-CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, Office of the Law Revision Counsel: United States Code, 18 USC 793.
what, exactly, constitutes “gross negligence”: A Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, U.S. Department of Justice, 26–34.
Over the summer, the FBI team: “Clinton E-mail Investigation: Mishandling of Classified—Unknown Subject of Country (SIM),” 18–22, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
the comment made him “queasy”: “Comey Says He Felt ‘Queasy’ After Lynch Directive on Email Probe,” Politico, June 8, 2017.
At the press roundtable: “F.B.I. Chief Says Politics Won’t Interfere with Inquiry on Hillary Clinton’s Email,” New York Times, October 1, 2015.
“You know, she made a mistake”: “President Obama,” CBS News, October 11, 2015.
Comey tapped McCabe: “Andrew McCabe Named Deputy Director of the FBI,” FBI National Press Office, January 29, 2016.
running for statewide office: McCabe, Threat, 168–73.
Under the Hatch Act: Political Activities, U.S. Department of Justice, updated March 22, 2016.
He didn’t vote: “FBI Director Says He’s No Longer a Registered Republican,” Politico, July 7, 2016.
“You guys are finally going to get that bitch”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 199.
“It is always a great honor”: “Trump Says ‘Great Honor’ to Get Compliments from ‘Highly Respected’ Putin,” ABC News, December 17, 2015.
“I’m no prude”: “Peter Strzok–Lisa Page Texts,” FBI Archives.
“because I was on the Clinton investigation”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 401.
“personal opinion talking to a friend”: “FBI Agent Peter Strzok Faces Questions on Anti-Trump Texts,” CNN Transcripts, July 12, 2018.
“bright and inviolable line”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 400.
case against James J. Smith: “F.B.I. Agent Pleads Guilty in Deal in Chinese Spy Case,” New York Times, May 13, 2004.
the gross negligence charges were never litigated: Kelly J. Smith, “An Enemy of Freedom: United States v. James J. Smith and the Assault on the Fourth Amendment,” Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review 39 (December 2006): 1424.
Petraeus pleaded guilty to one: “Criminal Prohibitions on Leaks and Other Disclosures of Classified Defense Information,” Congressional Research Service, 24–25.
“large volumes of highly classified information”: “Improper Handling of Classified Information by John M. Deutch,” Central Intelligence Agency, February 18, 2000.
Such lack of provable intent: Mary-Rose Papandrea, “National Security Information Disclosures and the Role of Intent,” William & Mary Law Review 56, no. 4 (2015): 1426–33.
“has to be so gross”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 30–31.
By the time McCabe became Comey’s deputy: “Why Intent, Not Gross Negligence, Is the Standard in Clinton Case,” War on the Rocks, July 14, 2016.
“Wasserman Schultz assured Benardo”: Via Electronic Transmission, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, June 22, 2017.
“In the Clinton situation”: Ruth Marcus, “Why a No-Indictment for Hillary Clinton Would Still Be a Problem for America,” Washington Post, March 29, 2016.
“Things are fair not fixed”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 186.
“The both of us are just kind of like”: Ibid.
And there were some who felt the idea: Ibid., 200–201.
“very active and prominent role”: Ibid., 177.
“I wanted Comey up there”: Ibid., 179.
“Jim, I thought we had talked”: Ibid., 175.
The draft was tough on Clinton: Ibid., 187–88.
“While it is not noted specifically”: Ibid., 182.
An ongoing concern in discussions: Ibid., 193–94.
Comey said he just took the phrase: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 181.
Chapter Three: A Sighting on the Tarmac
That Lynch thought she could escape: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 202–9.
Less than twenty-four hours later: “Full Timeline & Breakdown of Uncovered Lynch-Clinton Emails,” ACLJ, June 28, 2016.
Later that day, Sign asked: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 213.
“caused a cascading political storm”: “Bill Clinton’s Fondness for Tarmac Talk Gets Him into Trouble,” New York Times, July 1, 2016.
“doesn’t take mistakes lightly”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 217, 220.
“reviewed by career supervisors”: Ibid., 218.
“I’ll be briefed on it”: Aspen Ideas Festival 2016: “Crime and Punishment: A Conversation on 21st Century Policing, Civil Rights, and Criminal Justice Reform,” Aspen, Colorado, July 1, 2016.
“Hey, you’ve surely already considered this”: Ibid., 132.
“technically illiterate”: Ibid., 127.
While she might have known little: Hillary R. Clinton, FBI Records: The Vault, 1–33.
“I can’t sit here”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 137.
“I can’t and I hope someday”: Ibid., 224.
“Good morning,” Comey began: “Statement by FBI Director James B. Comey on the Investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Use of a Personal E-mail System,” FBI.gov, July 5, 2016.
“short of dashing across the street”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 226–27.
“that was way out of order”: Ibid., 228.
“Today is the best evidence”: “Coverage of Donald Trump’s Speech in North Carolina; Trump Slams ‘Crooked Hillary’ Email Investigation; Trump on Clinton Email Decision: ‘System Is Rigged,’” CNN, July 5, 2019.
Chapter Four: “This Feels Momentous”
CNN ran a feature: “FBI Boss Comey’s 7 Most Damning Lines on Clinton,” CNN, July 5, 2016.
“Though he recommended no criminal charges”: “FBI Recommends No Criminal Charges in Clinton Email Probe,” Washington Post, July 5, 2016.
“In just a few minutes of remarks”: “F.B.I.’s Critique of Hillary Clinton Is a Ready-Made Attack Ad,” New York Times, July 5, 2016.
Not only had Comey emerged unscathed: “12 Times Democrats Praised FBI Director James Comey as an American Hero,” The Federalist, October 31, 2016.
That night, just after Trump’s formal nomination: “Read Chris Christie’s Convention Speech Attacking Hillary Clinton,” Time, July 22, 2016.
From the guilty cries emerged another refrain: “How ‘Lock Her Up!’ Became a Mainstream GOP Rallying Cry,” Rolling Stone, July 21, 2016.
Others at the convention picked up the refrain: “Michael Flynn Leads ‘Lock Her Up’ Chant at 2016 RNC,” YouTube, December 1, 2017.
“an energy and oil consultant, excellent guy”: Transcript of Donald Trump’s meeting with the Washington Post, washingtonpost.com, March 21, 2016.
“said it would be damaging”: “Alexander Downer, Signing Off,” Australian, April 28, 2018.
Even more intriguing: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, U.S. Department of Justice, 2:89.
The next day, at a press conference: “Candidate Trump News Conference on July 27, 2016,” C-SPAN, June 14, 2017.
“Donald goes out of his way”: “Michael Cohen Has Said He Would Take a Bullet for Trump. Maybe Not Anymore,” New York Times, April 20, 2018.
“lock and load”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:137.
Chapter Five: “The Band Is Back Together”
Comey explicitly refused to say: “F.B.I. Director James Comey Testifies Before Congress,” New York Times, July 7, 2016.
Mercer Family Foundation: “‘Clinton Cash’ Book Got Most of Its Funding from One Hedge Fund Star,” Bloomberg News, January 18, 2017.
“When a source, no matter”: “Don’t Kill the Messenger,” U.S. News & World Report, April 23, 2015.
“The foundation should remove”: “Clinton Foundation Should Stop Accepting Funds,” Boston Globe, August 16, 2016.
“One school of thought”: Strzok testimony, Transcript of Peter Strzok House Judiciary Committee Interview, House Judiciary Committee, 269.
“I want to believe the path”: “What the Strzok-Page ‘Insurance Policy’ Text Was Actually About,” Washington Post, March 14, 2019.
“Anthony Weiner carried on a months-long”: “EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Weiner Carried On a Months-Long Online Sexual Relationship with a Troubled 15-Year-Old Girl Telling Her She Made Him ‘Hard,’ Asking Her to Dress Up in ‘School-Girl’ Outfits, and Pressing Her to Engage in ‘Rape Fantasies,’” Daily Mail, September 21, 2016.
In just three paragraphs: Article 235—NY Penal Law, New York State Law, Penal Law.
“threatens to remind voters”: “Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin to Separate After His Latest Sexting Scandal,” New York Times, August 29, 2016.
Among the domain addresses: FBI Communication on Discovery of Hillary Clinton E-mails on Anthony Weiner’s Laptop Computer, FBI Records: The Vault, 2.
“Just putting this on the record”: JW v DOJ FBI Weiner production 02105, pg 34, October 17, 2018.
“I don’t even wait”: “Trump Recorded Having Extremely Lewd Conversation about Women in 2005,” Washington Post, October 7, 2016.
Two days later, FBI agents: “Clinton Campaign Chairman Ties Email Hack to Russians, Suggests Trump Had Early Warning,” Washington Post, October 11, 2016.
“We were consumed by these ever-increasing allegations”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 298.
“My focus wasn’t on Midyear anymore”: Ibid., 297.
“FBI agents say the bureau”: “Exclusive: FBI Agents Say Comey ‘Stood in the Way’ of Clinton Email Investigation,” Daily Caller, October 17, 2016.
“something had fallen through the cracks”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 304.
“I did the right thing”: Ibid., 305.
“Clinton Ally Aided Campaign”: “Clinton Ally Aided Campaign of FBI Official’s Wife,” Wall Street Journal, October 24, 2016.
“good news, in a bad news way”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 317.
Comey and McCabe wondered: U.S. House of Representatives, Executive Session Committee on the Judiciary, Joint with the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, 152–53.
“We don’t know with certainty”: DOJ OIG Releases Report on Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, June 14, 2018, Office of the Inspector General.
Chapter Six: “To Speak or to Conceal”
“I ought to be fired”: Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, 358.
Axelrod was shocked and dismayed: Ibid., 360–64.
“This is BS”: Ibid., 354–55.
“FBI Dir just informed me”: “FBI Dir just informed me, ‘The FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation.’ Case reopened,” @jasoninthehouse, October 28, 2016, 11:57 A.M.
“It sounds like Comey is being”: “‘This Changes Everything’: Donald Trump Exults as Hillary Clinton’s Team Scrambles,” New York Times, October 28, 2016.
“Comey made an independent decision”: “Justice Officials Warned FBI That Comey’s Decision to Update Congress Was Not Consistent with Department Policy,” Washington Post, October 29, 2016.
“in love with my own righteousness”: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 206.
“FBI in Internal Feud”: “FBI in Internal Feud over Hillary Clinton Probe,” Wall Street Journal, October 30, 2016.
A few days later, Comey asked: McCabe, Threat, 196.
“Comey had no choice”: William Barr, “James Comey Did the Right Thing,” Washington Post, October 31, 2016.
“I have to tell you”: “Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Rally in Phoenix, Arizona,” C-SPAN, October 29, 2016.
“Molotov cocktail”: “Democrats’ One-Word Answer to Their Horrible Night: Comey,” Washington Post, September 11, 2016.
“a former senior intelligence officer”: David Corn, “A Veteran Spy Has Given the FBI Information Alleging a Russian Operation to Cultivate Donald Trump,” Mother Jones, October 31, 2016.
“swept away her largest and most immediate problem”: “Emails Warrant No New Action Against Hillary Clinton, F.B.I. Director Says,” New York Times, November 6, 2016.
“A victory by Mr. Trump remains possible”: “Who Will Be President,” New York Times, November 8, 2016.
Chapter Seven: “There Were No Prostitutes”
“We may find people of great technical talent”: “Comey on FBI Hiring Cyber Talent,” C-SPAN, August 30, 2016.
In an interview on Fox News: “Chris Wallace Hosts ‘Fox News Sunday,’ Interview with President-Elect Donald Trump,” CQ Newsmaker Transcripts, December 11, 2016.
The incoming White House chief of staff: “Chris Wallace Hosts ‘Fox News Sunday,’ Interview with Incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus,” Fox News, December 18, 2016; “Reince Priebus on War of Words with White House over Russia,” Fox News, December 18, 2016.
To the White House communications director: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:23.
On January 6 a motorcade of black SUVs: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 218–25.
The focus would be Russian interference: James Comey, memo, My notes from private session with PE on 1/6/17, January 7, 2017.
“Classified documents presented last week”: “Intel Chiefs Presented Trump with Claims of Russian Efforts to Compromise Him,” CNN, January 12, 2017.
Just one hour later, BuzzFeed News: “These Reports Allege Trump Has Deep Ties to Russia.”
Michael Cohen, Trump’s lawyer: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:27–28.
“have been incalculable and will play”: “How a Sensational, Unverified Dossier Became a Crisis for Donald Trump,” New York Times, January 11, 2017.
“if I could put out a statement”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:28.
“I’m a germophobe”: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 226.
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”: David Ignatius, “Why Did Obama Dawdle on Russia’s Hacking?,” Washington Post, January 12, 2017.
“We all have our personal lives”: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, 45–46.
On Sunday afternoon, January 22: “Brief Remarks: Donald Trump Speaks to Inauguration Law Enforcement Officers—January 22, 2017,” Factbase.
When Comey described the encounter: “What James Comey Told Me About Donald Trump,” Lawfare, May 18, 2017.
“You know what I said”: Flynn quoted in McCabe, Threat, 200. (The comment doesn’t appear in McCabe’s contemporaneous notes.)
The two agents arrived early: Strzok’s interview of Flynn, Case 1:17-cr-00232-EGS Document 62, U.S. Department of Justice, December 17, 2018.
“relaxed and jocular,”: “United States of America v. Michael T. Flynn, Defendant’s Memorandum in Aid of Sentencing,” United States District Court for the District of Columbia, December 11, 2018.
“Not happy”: Peter P. Strzok interview, Federal Bureau of Investigation, July 19, 2017.
Trump didn’t want to fire Flynn: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:41.
“Not again, this guy, this stuff”: Ibid., 32.
Trump didn’t waste any time: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 235–44.
The next day, Comey was lunching at his desk: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:35.
“Don’t talk about Russia”: Ibid., 33.
“I need loyalty,” he said again: Comey memo, My notes from private session with PE on 1/6/17, January 7, 2017.
Chapter Eight: “Where’s My Roy Cohn?”
The same day as Comey’s dinner: “Why Sally Yates Stood Up to Trump,” New Yorker, May 22, 2017.
About five hours later: Sally Yates, U.S. Department of Justice, September 28, 2017.
“a role model”: “Read Rosenstein’s Full Opening Statement on Comey to Congress,” PBS NewsHour, May 19, 2017.
“Rod is a survivor”: “What James Comey Told Me About Donald Trump.”
On Sunday, February 5: “President Trump Talks Travel Ban, Putin, Mexico; Could Trump Pull Federal Funds from California?; Trump Says There Could Be Tax Cut by End of 2017,” CNN Transcripts, February 5, 2017.
Three days later, on February 8: Comey memo, My notes from private session with PE on 1/6/17, January 7, 2017; Comey, Higher Loyalty, 248–49.
“privately discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia”: “National Security Adviser Flynn Discussed Sanctions with Russian Ambassador, Despite Denials, Officials Say,” Washington Post, February 9, 2017.
“Oh, this is fine”: Pence quoted in McCabe, Threat, 203.
“Okay. That’s fine. I got it”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:37.
“We’ll give you a good recommendation”: Ibid., 38.
“Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events”: Michael Flynn, Whitehouse.gov, February 13, 2017.
“The President was very concerned”: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Whitehouse.gov, February 14, 2017.
“Now that we fired Flynn”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:38–39.
“No way,” he said: Chris Christie, Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics, with Ellis Henican (New York: Hachette Books, 2019), 329.
The suggestion made Christie uncomfortable: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:39.
“I want to talk about Mike Flynn”: Ibid., 40.
“I hope you can see your way”: Ibid., 39–40.
“unqualified contradiction to what the Bureau stood for”: McCabe, Threat, 204.
“General Flynn is a wonderful man”: “Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel in Joint Press Conference,” Whitehouse.gov, February 15, 2017.
“Phone records and intercepted calls”: “Trump Aides Had Contact with Russian Intelligence,” New York Times, February 15, 2017.
“You’re not being good partners”: Priebus quoted in McCabe, Threat, 204.
“acting like his own branch of government”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:53.
“fine man”: “Remarks by President Trump in Press Conference,” Whitehouse.gov, February 16, 2017.
“violation of procedures”: “FBI Refused White House Request to Knock Down Recent Trump-Russia Stories,” CNN Politics, February 24, 2017.
“I have decided to recuse myself”: Attorney General Sessions Statement on Recusal, U.S. Department of Justice, March 2, 2017.
meeting with McGahn and Priebus: “Obstruction Inquiry Shows Trump’s Struggle to Keep Grip on Russia Investigation,” New York Times, January 4, 2018.
“I don’t have a lawyer”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:50.
“who to investigate”: Ibid., 76.
pulled Sessions aside to ask him to “unrecuse”: Ibid., 51.
Trump was in a “panic/chaos”: Ibid., 52.
On March 20, Comey gave a similar briefing: Transcript of Comey testimony, March 20, 2017: Hearing on Russian Election Tampering Before the House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee, 15th Cong., 1st Sess.
The next day, he was “beside himself”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:54.
The president was consumed with the issue: Ibid., 55.
At about 8:15 a.m. on March 30: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 258–59.
“lift the cloud”: Comey memo, March 30, 2017.
On April 7, Trump’s nominee Neil M. Gorsuch: “Neil Gorsuch Confirmed by Senate as Supreme Court Justice,” New York Times, April 7, 2017.
Just four days later: Comey memo, April 11, 2017.
Chapter Nine: “I Know You Told Me Not To”
A few hours after speaking to Comey: “President Trump’s Thoroughly Confusing Fox Business Interview, Annotated,” Washington Post, April 11, 2017.
“half vote-of-confidence”: Ibid., annotation.
“the last straw”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:75.
“Hillary Clinton would probably be”: Nate Silver, “The Comey Letter Probably Cost Clinton the Election,” FiveThirtyEight, May 3, 2017.
While Silver didn’t dismiss other factors: Ibid.
“Look, this is terrible”: Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Committee of the Judiciary, May 3, 2017.
“That ship had sailed”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:64.
“I’m going to read you a letter”: Ibid., 63–64.
At 5:00 p.m., the group met: Ibid., 67.
On the afternoon of May 9: A Report of Investigation of Certain Allegations Relating to Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Office of the Inspector General, 15.
Rosenstein’s memo had duly landed: Restoring Public Confidence in the FBI, documentcloud, 1–3.
“not to see the light of day”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:68.
“the only line the President cared about”: Ibid., 69.
Fox News cheered the news: “Fox News Is Covering James Comey’s Firing from an Alternate Reality,” Slate, May 10, 2017.
The Wall Street Journal editorial page: “Comey’s Deserved Dismissal,” Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2017.
But they were exceptions: “Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey over Email Investigation,” NBC News, May 9, 2017.
Evidently channel surfing: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:70.
in which he was “screaming”: Ibid.
“Just turn the lights off”: “After Trump Fired Comey, White House Staff Scrambled to Explain Why,” Washington Post, May 10, 2017.
Spicer told reporters: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:70.
Chapter Ten: Seven Days in May
“I just fired the head of the FBI”: “Trump Told Russians That Firing ‘Nut Job’ Comey Eased Pressure on Investigation,” New York Times, May 19, 2017.
“Not only would it be an issue”: Transcripts of Jim Baker Interview with House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, Lawfare, April 9, 2019.
The next morning, McCabe, Baker, and Lisa Page: McCabe’s Senate testimony: Hearing on Worldwide Threats, U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, May 11, 2017.
“Never forget, no one speaks”: “Behind the Scenes of Trump’s Infamous Lester Holt Interview,” Axios, April 21, 2019.
At the White House, Holt: “Lester Holt’s Interview with Trump,” NBC News, May 11, 2017.
“Something was needed”: Comey, Higher Loyalty, 270.
The result was an explosive article: “In a Private Dinner, Trump Demanded Loyalty. Comey Demurred,” New York Times, May 11, 2017.
In this highly charged environment: “Former Attorney General: Trump Made the Right Call on Comey,” Washington Post, May 12, 2017.
On Friday morning McCabe had his first meeting: “Read the Full Transcript of Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s 60 Minutes Interview,” Time, February 18, 2019.
“have a heart attack”: Ibid.
Chapter Eleven: “This Is the End of My Presidency”
“like feeding seagulls at the beach”: James Comey testimony transcript on Trump and Russia, Politico, June 8, 2017.
“he did not come in looking for the job”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:81.
“By virtue of the authority”: Appointment of Special Counsel to Investigate Russian Interference with the 2016 Presidential Election and Related Matters, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, May 17, 2017.
“Oh my God. This is terrible”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:78.
But Trump’s was a solitary voice: “Special Counsel Appointment Gets Bipartisan Praise,” Hill, May 17, 2017.
“a great deal of confidence”: “Grassley Statement on the Appointment of Special Counsel in Russian Interference Probe,” Chuck Grassley, May 17, 2017.
“has sterling credentials and is above reproach”: “Senator Collins’ Statement on Appointment of Former FBI Director Robert Mueller as Special Counsel,” Susan Collins, May 17, 2017.
“The investigation will go on”: “Robert Mueller: The Special Counsel America Needs,” New York Times, May 17, 2017.
“part of the brotherhood of prosecutors”: “The Mueller Caveat,” Wall Street Journal, May 18, 2017.
The two debated the issue: “Strzok Page Text Messages 5-19-17,” scribd, uploaded January 23, 2018.
“That did prompt some discussion”: Peter Nicholas, Aruna Viswanatha, and Erica Orden, “Trump’s Allies Urge Harder Line as Mueller Probe Heats Up,” Wall Street Journal, December 8, 2017.
Bannon told Trump that his complaints: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:81.
McGahn, too, told Trump: Ibid., 85.
Trump took his complaints about Mueller: Ibid., 81.
more than eighteen million viewers: “Nearly 20 Million Viewers Watched James Comey’s Senate Testimony,” Fortune, June 9, 2017.
“It rings in my ear”: “Trump’s Meddlesome Priest,” New York Times, June 8, 2017.
Minutes after Comey finished testifying: “Donald Trump’s Response to James Comey’s Testimony: Read His Lawyer’s Statement in Full,” Independent, June 8, 2017.
The next day, at a press conference: “Remarks by President Trump and President Iohannis of Romania in a Joint Press Conference,” Whitehouse.gov, June 9, 2017.
Ruddy appeared that evening: “Trump Confidant Christopher Ruddy Says Mueller Has ‘Real Conflicts’ as Special Counsel,” PBS NewsHour, June 12, 2017.
“Spicer issued a bizarre late night press release”: “Trump Friend Chris Ruddy Says Spicer’s ‘Bizarre’ Statement Doesn’t Deny Claim Trump Seeking Mueller Firing,” ABC News, June 13, 2017.
“While the president has the right”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:83.
Ruddy’s comments prompted Senator Susan Collins: “Rosenstein Says He Wouldn’t Fire Special Counsel Mueller Without Good Cause,” NPR, June 13, 2017.
The president called Sessions at home: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:107.
On June 14, The Washington Post disclosed: “Special Counsel Is Investigating Trump for Possible Obstruction of Justice, Officials Say,” Washington Post, June 14, 2017.
“You gotta do this. You gotta call Rod”: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:85–86.
McGahn felt trapped: Ibid., 85.
“tired of it being portrayed”: “Bork Irked by Emphasis on His Role in Watergate,” New York Times, July 2, 1987.
Chapter Twelve: “The Worst Day of My Life”
The president’s disdain for both men: “Sessions Told White House That Rosenstein’s Firing Could Prompt His Departure, Too,” Washington Post, April 20, 2018.
In the Oval Office on June 19: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:90–93.
“What can I do? I’m not an employee”: Ibid., 93.
Later that day, Trump and Hope Hicks: “Excerpts from the Times’s Interview with Trump,” New York Times, July 19, 2017.
Sunday meeting with Rosenstein and Mueller: “Rosenstein-McCabe Feud Dates Back to Angry Standoff in Front of Mueller,” Washington Post, October 10, 2018.
To Hicks’s dismay, the Times led: “Citing Recusal, Trump Says He Wouldn’t Have Hired Sessions,” New York Times, July 19, 2017.
there was an investigation before: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 1:95.
The Post responded that: John Wagner, “Trump Levels False Attacks Against the Post and Amazon in a Pair of Tweets,” Washington Post, July 23, 2017.
Priebus was soon ousted: Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Twitter, July 28, 2017, 4:00 P.M.
McCabe later said he felt “disconnected”: McCabe, Threat, 253.
On a late summer Friday: “Michael Cohen Would Take a Bullet for Donald Trump,” Vanity Fair, September 6, 2017.
So it should have come as no surprise: “READ: Michael Cohen’s Statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee,” CNN, September 19, 2017.
He had his lawyer in the Russia investigation: “Text of Trump Team Memos to Special Counsel Assailing Comey,” Associated Press, July 7, 2018.
but he had lied, too: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:193.
“I’m sympathetic”: Katelyn Polantz, “Transcript Released of Flynn Voicemail from Trump Lawyer Showing Possible Attempt to Obstruct,” CNN, May 31, 2019.
The next day, the president tried to focus attention: “Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure,” Whitehouse.gov, December 15, 2017.
But reporters quickly asked about Flynn: “President Trump Remarks on Tax Reform and Michael Flynn Guilty Plea,” C-SPAN, December 2, 2017.
Trump followed up with a series: “President Trump’s Departure Remarks,” C-SPAN, December 4, 2017.
“those cheatin’ FBI lovebirds”: “FBI Lovebirds Might Be Getting Busy in Other Ways, Too,” New York Post, April 10, 2018.
The tirade prompted a rare response: Eric Holder (@EricHolder), Twitter, December 3, 2017, 8:57 A.M.
Wray said only that he: “In Texts, FBI Officials in Russia Inquiry Said Clinton ‘Just Has to Win,’” New York Times, December 12, 2017.
Congressman Andy Biggs, Republican of Arizona: “Rep. Biggs on Strzok-Page Texts: ‘In Any Other Country We Would Call It a Coup,’” Fox News, April 26, 2019.
“It’s a shame what’s happened”: “Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure,” Whitehouse.gov, December 15, 2017.
In this highly charged atmosphere: U.S. House of Representatives, Executive Session Committee on the Judiciary, Joint with the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, 16-258.
Two days later, Trump did exactly that: Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Twitter, December 23, 2017, 2:27 P.M.
Chapter Thirteen: Deep State
In an essay to accompany the Moyers interview: “Essay: Anatomy of the Deep State,” Moyers Archive, February 21, 2014.
On January 12, The Wall Street Journal: “Trump Lawyer Arranged $130,000 Payment for Adult-Film Star’s Silence,” Wall Street Journal, January 12, 2018.
When Cohen sought guidance: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 1:145.
Trump said he wanted McGahn to write: Ibid., 115, 116.
The next day, in an Oval Office meeting: Ibid., 116–17.
Despite Trump’s earlier public statements: “The Trump Lawyers’ Confidential Memo to Mueller, Explained,” New York Times, June 2, 2018.
McCabe was watching CNN: “Ex–FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe Is Fired—and Fires Back,” CNN, March 17, 2018.
“Andrew McCabe FIRED”: Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Twitter, March 16, 2018, 11:08 P.M.
A time-honored way: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:145–48.
On April 24, at a press conference: “‘Stupid Question’: Trump Curtly Dismisses a Reporter’s Question About Pardoning Michael Cohen,” Washington Post, April 24, 2018.
“Much of the bad blood with Russia”: Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Twitter, April 11, 2018, 8:00 A.M.
“DOJ just issued the McCabe report”: Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Twitter, April 13, 2018, 2:36 A.M.
Trump had already taken to Twitter: Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Twitter, April 13, 2018, 7:01 A.M.
Saying he was inspired by a video clip: “Trump Touts Hannity’s Show on ‘Deep State Crime Families’ Led by Mueller, Comey, and Clintons,” Washington Post, April 12, 2018.
Stephanopoulos and his producers were thorough: “Transcript: James Comey’s Interview with ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos,” ABC News, April 15, 2018.
“The big questions in Comey’s badly reviewed book”: Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Twitter, April 15, 2018, 6:57 A.M.
“James Comey’s book is titled”: Frank Bruni, “Comey Is Trump’s Ultimate Victory,” New York Times, April 16, 2018.
And Comey faced criticism: “Ex–FBI Agents Say Comey Is ‘Damaging the Agency’ as He Clashes with Trump,” Guardian, April 17, 2018.
In the wake of Comey’s ABC interview: President Trump Job Approval, RealClearPolitics, May 2018.
On June 8, 2018, William Barr: Memorandum, June 8, 2018.
On June 14, Michael Horowitz: DOJ OIG Releases Report on Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, Office of the Inspector General.
“Inspector General Blasts Comey”: “Inspector General Blasts Comey and Also Says Others at FBI Showed ‘Willingness to Take Official Action’ to Hurt Trump,” Washington Post, June 14, 2018.
“Comey’s Actions ‘Extraordinary and Insubordinate’”: “Comey’s Actions ‘Extraordinary and Insubordinate,’ Report Says,” CNN, June 14, 2018.
“Those seven words are what Trump and his allies will seize on”: “How 7 Words in the 500-Page IG Report Give Donald Trump All the ‘Deep State’ Ammo He Wanted,” CNN, June 14, 2018.
Cohen turned to television: “EXCLUSIVE: Michael Cohen Says Family and Country, Not President Trump, Is His ‘First Loyalty,’” ABC News, July 2, 2018.
Trump leaped on the disparity: “Trump: Cohen Payments Came from Me, Not the Campaign,” Fox News, August 22, 2018.
In early September, the Justice Department: “Text Messages Between Former FBI Officials Capture Reactions to Stories on Russia Investigation,” CNN, September 14, 2018.
A little more than a week later: “Rod Rosenstein Suggested Secretly Recording Trump and Discussed 25th Amendment,” New York Times, September 21, 2018.
Rosenstein met with John Kelly: “Rod Rosenstein’s Job Is Safe, for Now: Inside His Dramatic Day,” New York Times, September 24, 2018.
“extended conversation”: “At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C.,” Sarah Sanders (@PressSec), Twitter, September 24, 2018, 11:48 A.M.
The next day, Trump was in: “Remarks by President Trump in Press Conference After Midterm Elections,” Whitehouse.gov, November 7, 2018.
Just before his appointment to the Justice Department: “President Trump’s Pick to Replace Jeff Sessions Suggested Cutting Off Robert Mueller’s Funding,” Time, November 7, 2018.
“He was my first choice from day one”: “President Trump White House Departure,” C-SPAN, December 7, 2018.
On November 20, Trump’s lawyers finally submitted: “Full Text of Mueller’s Questions and Trump’s Answers,” Associated Press, April 18, 2019.
“What I can tell you is”: “Trump Submits Answers to Special Counsel Questions About Russian Interference,” Washington Post, November 20, 2018.
Cohen was sentenced to three years: “‘Dirty Deeds’: Ex–Trump Lawyer Cohen Gets 3 Years in Prison,” Associated Press, December 12, 2012.
“Attorney General Bill Barr is preparing”: “Justice Department Preparing for Mueller Report as Early as Next Week,” CNN, February 20, 2019.
“The special counsel’s investigation has consumed”: “Justice Department Preparing for Mueller Report in Coming Days,” Washington Post, February 20, 2019.
“The great national psychodrama”: “‘Merely the End of Chapter One’: The Mueller Report, Rumored to Drop Next Week, Is Only the Beginning,” Vanity Fair, February 21, 2019.
A New York Times reporter spotted Giuliani: “Where’s the Mueller Report? Washington Barely Handled the Anticipation,” New York Times, March 22, 2019.
Conclusion
As he was boarding Air Force One: “Remarks by President Trump Before Air Force One Departure,” Whitehouse.gov, March 24, 2019.
Rudy Giuliani and Jay Sekulow: Giuliani/Sekulow interview with Wolf Blitzer, “‘Impossible to Obstruct Justice if There’s No Underlying Crime,’ No Collusion Means No Obstruction,” RealClearPolitics, March 24, 2019.
The reality was far more complex: “Read: Letter from Special Counsel Robert Mueller to Attorney General William Barr,” CNN, May 1, 2019; “Mueller Complained That Barr’s Letter Did Not Capture ‘Context’ of Trump Probe,” Washington Post, April 30, 2019; “Read Robert Mueller’s Letter to William Barr Critiquing the Attorney General’s Summary of His Report,” Time, May 1, 2019.
Mueller demolished the notion: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:157.
no underlying criminal activity: “Martha Stewart to Donald Trump: Can There Be Obstruction of Justice with No Underlying Crime?,” PolitiFact, March 25, 2019.
“The only commitment I made”: “I Can Land the Plane,” Washington Post, April 28, 2019.
Mueller might not have concluded: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2:2.
He marked the occasion: “Full Transcript of Mueller’s Statement on Russia Investigation,” New York Times, May 29, 2019.
By then, it had dawned: “Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure,” Whitehouse.gov, May 30, 2019.
“maybe in modern political history”: “The 48 Most Revealing Lines of Steve Bannon’s ‘60 Minutes’ Interview,” CNN, September 12, 2017.
As the New Yorker editor David Remnick: “There Is No Deep State,” New Yorker, March 11, 2017.
Even Mike Lofgren, whose essay: “Yes, There Is a Deep State—but Not the Right Wing’s Caricature,” Lobe Log, March 17, 2017.
For that he received no gratitude: Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Twitter, May 11, 2019, 5:39 P.M.
Rod Rosenstein announced his resignation: “READ: Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein’s Resignation Letter,” CNN, April 29, 2019.
In a speech in New York on April 25: GBC 2019 Annual Meeting—Rod Rosenstein, Vimeo, May 17, 2019.
“We govern ourselves in accordance”: “Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein Delivers Remarks at the Armenian Bar Association’s Public Servants Dinner,” New York, April 25, 2019, U.S. Department of State.
“Law Day recognizes that we govern”: “President Donald J. Trump Proclaims May 1, 2018, as Law Day, U.S.A.,” Whitehouse.gov, April 30, 2018.
“The former director is a partisan pundit”: Billy House and Chris Strohm, “Rod Rosenstein Attacks Comey, Defends Mueller Probe in Speech,” Bloomberg, May 13, 2019.
On May 28, in The Washington Post: “James Comey: No ‘Treason.’ No Coup. Just Lies—and Dumb Lies at That,” Washington Post, May 28, 2019.
McCabe also had a star turn: “Andrew McCabe: The Full ‘60 Minutes’ Interview,” CBS News, February 17, 2019.
McCabe has said he is constrained: McCabe, Threat, 254–55, 259.
In an interview on 60 Minutes: “William Barr Interview: Read the Full Transcript,” CBS News, May 31, 2019.
“Sir, the Constitution says treason”: “Remarks by President Trump on Supporting America’s Farmers and Ranchers,” Whitehouse.gov, May 23, 2019.