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Hatchet Man

How Bill Barr Broke the Prosecutor’s Code and Corrupted the Justice Department

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Hatchet Man

Written by: Elie Honig
Narrated by: Elie Honig
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About this listen

National Best Seller

“Elie Honig has written much more than a compelling takedown of an unfit attorney general; he also offers a blueprint for how impartial and apolitical justice should be administered in America.” (Preet Bharara)

“An essential analysis for anyone committed to understanding the abuses of the Trump administration so we can ensure they never happen again.” (Joyce White Vance)

“Essential reading for all who cherish the rule of law in America.” (George Conway)

"Written with all the color and pacing of a legal thriller." (Variety)

CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig exposes William Barr as the most corrupt attorney general in modern US history, with stunning new scandals bubbling to the surface even after Barr's departure from office.

In Hatchet Man, former federal prosecutor Elie Honig uncovers Barr’s unprecedented abuse of power as Attorney General and the lasting structural damage done to the Justice Department. Honig uses his own experience as a prosecutor at DOJ to show how, as America’s top law enforcement official, Barr repeatedly violated the Department’s written rules, and those vital, unwritten norms and principles that comprise the “prosecutor’s code”.

Barr was corrupt from the beginning. His first act as AG was to distort the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, earning a public rebuke for his dishonesty from Mueller himself and, later, from a federal judge. Then, Barr tried to manipulate the law to squash a whistleblower’s complaint about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine - the report that eventually led to Trump’s first impeachment. Barr later intervened in an unprecedented manner to undermine his own DOJ prosecutors on the cases of Michael Flynn and Roger Stone, both political allies of the President. And then Barr fired the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York under false pretenses. Finally, Barr amplified baseless theories about massive mail-in ballot fraud, pouring gasoline on the dumpster fire battle over the 2020 election results and contributing to the January 6 insurrection that led to Trump’s second impeachment.

In Hatchet Man, Honig proves that Barr trampled the two core virtues that have long defined the department and its mission: credibility and independence - ultimately in service of his own deeply-rooted, extremist legal and personal beliefs. Honig shows how Barr corrupted the Justice Department and explains what we must do to prevent this from ever happening again.

©2021 Elie Honig (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers
Freedom & Security Politics & Government United States
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What listeners say about Hatchet Man

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To Whom It May Concern...

...please make note of the author's recommendations for an independent, fair, and trustworthy Justice Department. Barr took a torch to it. In his or her review (below), someone opined: "Honig spent too much time on himself." I respectfully disagree with that assessment. For a laywoman such as myself in most matters of law and prosecutor guidelines, Honig's personal experience in a classic mob case was not only interesting, but it also provided much needed context to illustrate the myriad ways Barr broke the prosecutor's code and corrupted the Justice Department. This book is one of the most interesting on the Trump presidency so far, and it is also very well narrated. 5 Stars all around!

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A pretty lousy AG and a special kind of stupid

Regrettably a poor choice for AG by one of the dumbest Presidents in US history. That malignant narcissist couldn’t hire anyone smarter than him which explains the choice for AG.

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I made a sweater listening

Great book...great reading.

I am so much more informed....though my opinions are more confirmed than changed.
it will be awhile before I'm done thinking about this book.
in the meantime, I truly hope a copy has reached the ears of Mr. Barr....he can consider it as draft discovery, I hope.

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Inspiring

Thank you for the beacon of hope that all us not lost in our pursuit of a rules based society.

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Important reading for Merrick Garland...

Excellent review of a liar who helped a dirty crook in the White House!

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Enjoyed

I really enjoyed the overview of the Barr era. Elie does a great job personalizing his views and how he formed his opinion. Really enjoyed the personal stories on relating to the subject

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Weak

some good points but Honig spent too much time on himself. the last couple of chapters were the best...

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