“The life of lies. The silent circle of assent. The boss in complete control. Loyalty oaths. An us-versus-them worldview. Lying about things, large and small, in service to some warped code of loyalty. These rules and standards were hallmarks of the Mafia, but throughout my career I’d be surprised how often I’d find them applied outside of it.” ~ James Comey in A Higher Loyalty
I’ve finished reading a book entitled A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership by former director of the FBI James Comey. I enjoyed reading The Threat by Andrew McCabe so I decided I’d read James Comey’s book. This book has nothing to do with running; however, Comey does mention basketball several times.
James Comey served as director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017. He was appointed to the post by President Barack Obama. When Obama was about to announce Comey as his nomination to become the FBI director, Obama jokingly asks Comey about using the FBI gym to play basketball. Comey replied, “Of course, Mr. President. It is your gym, in a way.” Comey says he loves basketball, but he knew he’d never join Obama in the FBI gym. Comey says, “FBI directors can’t be that way with presidents. Everybody knows why. At least I thought they did.”
In A Higher Loyalty, Comey tells his life story beginning when he was in the fifth grade, moving from New York to New Jersey, and being bullied. When he lived in New York he had been popular. When his family moved to New Jersey, he was the new kid, and he was picked on by his classmates.
Comey also talks about many adults who were positive role models to him as a child. Comey’s parents had emphasized the need for resisting the group. Comey claims “We all have a tendency to surrender our moral authority to ‘the group.’” Comey goes on to telling some of his experiences in college and law school.
Comey worked as a lawyer in private practice and as an Assistant United States Attorney. Comey’s career in the United States Attorney’s office main responsibilities were prosecuting Mafia gangs. Comey claims Mafia gang members are basically bullies. “They threaten the weak to feed some insecurity that rages inside them.” Comey goes into considerable detail explaining the Mafia worldview. Comey “chose a career in law enforcement because [he] believed it was the best way to help other people, especially those suffering at the hands of the powerful, the crime bosses, the bullies.” After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, President George W. Bush needed to appoint a new United States Attorney in Manhattan. Comey accepted the job.
President Bush had authorized the use of torture in enhanced interrogations. The Bush administration believed these techniques worked. Comey says that coercive interrogations are of no utility and the information obtained is useless and unreliable. The legal opinion interpretation of the torture statute had been very broad. Comey went to Attorney General Ashcroft and told him that the Justice Department opinion on the legality of those actions should be withdrawn, and eventually it was withdrawn.
Later after Comey had moved to Richmond and returned to private practice, he was offered the position of FBI Director by President Barack Obama. Comey was surprised because he was a Republican. Obama wanted the FBI and its director independent from the president and politics.
In the book, Comey explained that the FBI and its director are not on anyone’s political team. Comey says that on more than one occasion, he attempted to explain the appropriate relationship between the FBI and the White House to President Trump, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Comey says they either just didn’t understand or didn’t want to understand. He says that Priebus and Sessions were both inadequate for, and overwhelmed by their jobs. Comey claims Donald Trump “is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values. His leadership is transactional, ego driven, and about personal loyalty.”
In the book, Comey provides numerous examples of President Trump’s improper conduct. For example, President Trump invited Comey to a private dinner. Comey was anticipating a small group. When he gets there, it is just him and President Trump in the Green Room. At the dinner Trump said, “I need loyalty. I expect loyalty.” At another meeting in the Oval Office, President Trump dismissed everyone from the room except Comey, then Trump says, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.”
Regarding the Hillary Clinton email investigation Comey explains that he was stuck between a “really bad option” and a “catastrophic option.” Comey claims, “No matter what we found, that act of concealment would be catastrophic to the integrity of the FBI and the Department of Justice.”
Comey concludes A Higher Loyalty with his June 8, 2017 opening statement testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
A Higher Loyalty is an interesting book, well written, and informative. Comey talks a lot about integrity, ethical leadership, and loyalty to the truth. From reading this book and McCabe’s book, I am convinced that McCabe, Comey, and Robert Mueller are honorable men of the highest integrity. I will accept their word over President Trump’s or any of his enablers. I feel anyone who likes reading about politics and recent history would enjoy this book.