Deep State: Trump, the FBI, and the Rule of Law

In this rigorous, lucidly written inquiry, New York Times columnist Stewart (Tangled Webs) examines the origins of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into links between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia’s interference in the 2016 election for evidence that, in Trump’s words, the investigation was “an illegal takedown that failed.” Beginning with the opening of the FBI’s 2015 case on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for unauthorized use of a private email server, then the surfacing of the “Steele dossier” and President Trump’s dismissal of FBI director James Comey, Stewart efficiently recounts the events that led to Mueller’s appointment, focusing on decisions made by FBI officials including Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, and Lisa Page (all accused of “treason” by Trump). His timeline is studded with revelations—Page initially lied to McCabe about her affair with Strzok; Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein twice offered to secretly record conversations with the president—but Stewart credibly concludes that there was no “deep state” conspiracy. The irony, he contends, is that the FBI’s rigid insistence on preserving its aura of independence “opened the doors to hell,” as Comey has said. Though many details will be familiar to political junkies, this is a must-read for those seeking clear, credible answers to the swirl of accusations surrounding these matters. (Oct.)