Hatchet Man: How Bill Barr Broke the Prosecutor's Code and Corrupted the Justice Department
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- Create Date：2021-07-12 08:51:51
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Elie Honig
- ISBN：0063092360
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Summary
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig analyzes how Attorney General William Barr has demolished norms and destroyed faith in the Department of Justice， turning one of the most apolitical and respected American institutions into a private law firm supporting and protecting its client: Donald Trump。
America’s top law enforcement official， William Barr is different from his predecessors at the Justice Department。 During his tenure， Barr has done profound and pervasive damage， trampling the two core virtues that have long defined the department and its mission across both Democratic and Republican administrations: credibility and independence。 Barr has bent the truth， distorted the law， and undermined his Department’s own prosecutions， with one consistent outcome: to protect and advance the political interests of Donald Trump。
Barr’s first act as AG was distorting the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller， earning a public rebuke for his dishonesty from Mueller himself and， later， from a federal judge。 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 impeachment。 Barr intervened in the prosecutions of Michael Flynn and Roger Stone， undermining the work of his own prosecutors to aid the loyal Trump advisers。 He got caught lying about his late-night effort to displace the U。S。 Attorney for the Southern District of New York， whose office was investigating the Trump family and its business。 Barr has denigrated Democrats and Trump opponents and has amplified baseless theories about massive mail-in ballot fraud， bolstering the possibility of an ugly battle over the 2020 election results。
Working at the Justice Department， Elie Honig was taught that the two most important assets a prosecutor has is credibility and independence; without them， a prosecutor is lost。 While he and his colleagues fought hard to do justice， to charge well-supported and righteous cases， and to convict serious lawbreakers， they knew that nothing was worth sacrificing character or integrity。 To America’s detriment， Barr has relinquished both。
Hatchet Man examines Barr’s unprecedented abuse of power as Attorney General and the lasting structural damage done to the Justice Department through his callous， almost gleeful， politicization of his position and his vast power。
America’s top law enforcement official， William Barr is different from his predecessors at the Justice Department。 During his tenure， Barr has done profound and pervasive damage， trampling the two core virtues that have long defined the department and its mission across both Democratic and Republican administrations: credibility and independence。 Barr has bent the truth， distorted the law， and undermined his Department’s own prosecutions， with one consistent outcome: to protect and advance the political interests of Donald Trump。
Barr’s first act as AG was distorting the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller， earning a public rebuke for his dishonesty from Mueller himself and， later， from a federal judge。 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 impeachment。 Barr intervened in the prosecutions of Michael Flynn and Roger Stone， undermining the work of his own prosecutors to aid the loyal Trump advisers。 He got caught lying about his late-night effort to displace the U。S。 Attorney for the Southern District of New York， whose office was investigating the Trump family and its business。 Barr has denigrated Democrats and Trump opponents and has amplified baseless theories about massive mail-in ballot fraud， bolstering the possibility of an ugly battle over the 2020 election results。
Working at the Justice Department， Elie Honig was taught that the two most important assets a prosecutor has is credibility and independence; without them， a prosecutor is lost。 While he and his colleagues fought hard to do justice， to charge well-supported and righteous cases， and to convict serious lawbreakers， they knew that nothing was worth sacrificing character or integrity。 To America’s detriment， Barr has relinquished both。
Hatchet Man examines Barr’s unprecedented abuse of power as Attorney General and the lasting structural damage done to the Justice Department through his callous， almost gleeful， politicization of his position and his vast power。
Reviews
vaderbird
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5 star - Perfect4 star - i would recommend3 star - good2 star - struggled to complete1 star - could not finish
Miguel
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Not much was being revealed about Barr that I didn't already know （or want to know） about him， and not sure how many future published Trump books I'll be able to get through。 Not much was being revealed about Barr that I didn't already know （or want to know） about him， and not sure how many future published Trump books I'll be able to get through。 。。。more
HBalikov
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Hatchet Man is an examination of William Barr’s tenure as Attorney General of the United States。 This is a position that Honig believes necessitates some experience in criminal prosecution。 One of the themes that runs through this book is that only criminal prosecutorial experience can provide a solid foundation for the decisions that the Attorney General will be called upon to make。 He recounts how his professional experience shaped his perspective and moral code。Honig faults President Trump an Hatchet Man is an examination of William Barr’s tenure as Attorney General of the United States。 This is a position that Honig believes necessitates some experience in criminal prosecution。 One of the themes that runs through this book is that only criminal prosecutorial experience can provide a solid foundation for the decisions that the Attorney General will be called upon to make。 He recounts how his professional experience shaped his perspective and moral code。Honig faults President Trump and Barr for staffing the top positions at the Department of Justice with people who lacked even a modicum of that experience。Here is the essence of why Honig calls out Barr for his efforts to subvert one of the USA’s most respected and apolitical institutions。First， for not respecting the “prosecutor’s code”Second， he excoriates Barr for being a “liar。”Third， he notes that Barr was a political partisan who used the power of the office politically。Fourth， he digs into how Barr chose to foist his view of the Presidency as the pre-eminent branch （not an equal branch with the judiciary and the legislature） to upset the Constitutional balance in favor of a President who was untouchable and unaccountable。 Honig characterizes this as a dystopian view where a small group of “men of faith” enforce their chosen social order。Hatchet Man is an important and thought-provoking book for this period in America。 At its heart is a plea for balance and restraint that should be part of a national discussion。 。。。more
Kevin Alexander
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This book was nothing more than another partisan hit job in what seems to be the next installment in the string of endless hit pieces about the previous administration。 While I have a tremendous amount of respect for the legal expertise of Honig for his role in mob prosecutions， some of his anecdotes come across from my perspective as having a tone unbearable arrogance due to expertise as a prosecutor。 To label AG Barr as nothing more than a bureaucrat is a bit much for my taste。 Lastly it seeme This book was nothing more than another partisan hit job in what seems to be the next installment in the string of endless hit pieces about the previous administration。 While I have a tremendous amount of respect for the legal expertise of Honig for his role in mob prosecutions， some of his anecdotes come across from my perspective as having a tone unbearable arrogance due to expertise as a prosecutor。 To label AG Barr as nothing more than a bureaucrat is a bit much for my taste。 Lastly it seemed to me that Honig was towing the line of liberal narrative when detailing the “role” of Bill Barr in the clearing of Lafayette Square Park in June of 2020 which has gone on to be disputed and disproven by an OIG report that came out in June of 2021。 I still gave this book two stars however as I do believe there is value in reading this book even though I didn’t agree with many of his conclusions。 。。。more
Sandra Armor
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4。5 stars。This is a great compilation of everything I’ve heard in the news about Barr。 A few new things， but mostly a prosecutor’s view on what Barr did wrong and why。 The biggest thing for me was the discussion of Barr’s intense anti secular views， which were very frightening。 It’s a great book and Elie does a great job with the audiobook。
Josie Cosentino
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Everything you want to know about Bill Barr: No good， only bad and uglyAlways trust your instincts， but verify with facts。 Elite Honig presents Barr as honestly and fairly as an author could， with verifiable facts and brutal candor。 I couldn't put it down， but now am left with feelings of anger， betrayal and disdain for a person who swore an oath to be apolitical， honest and apply the law。 What a disgrace 。 Everything you want to know about Bill Barr: No good， only bad and uglyAlways trust your instincts， but verify with facts。 Elite Honig presents Barr as honestly and fairly as an author could， with verifiable facts and brutal candor。 I couldn't put it down， but now am left with feelings of anger， betrayal and disdain for a person who swore an oath to be apolitical， honest and apply the law。 What a disgrace 。 。。。more
Dan Deneen
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Ordinarily， I’m not one to delve into political reads。 But my local store happened to display this one a week early。 I perused it for a few minutes and HAD to purchase。 Finished it 3 days later。 Being a registered Independent， I had few pre-conceived leanings about Mr。 Barr。 I read this as an outsider looking through a window into a point in living US history。 AND A FASCINATING VIEW IT WAS！！Elie Honig， an esteemed prosecutor and TV analyst， does not bog us down with legalese or history lesson de Ordinarily， I’m not one to delve into political reads。 But my local store happened to display this one a week early。 I perused it for a few minutes and HAD to purchase。 Finished it 3 days later。 Being a registered Independent， I had few pre-conceived leanings about Mr。 Barr。 I read this as an outsider looking through a window into a point in living US history。 AND A FASCINATING VIEW IT WAS！！Elie Honig， an esteemed prosecutor and TV analyst， does not bog us down with legalese or history lesson detours。 He writes in laymen’s terms， and let’s the text flow at a smooth pace， keeping the sparks of interest lit throughout。 Honig takes a no-bullshit approach。 Events are what they are。 There’s definitely a， “Decide For Yourself，” tone。 Some will consider Mr。 Barr to be a Patriot by the last page。 Others will shake their heads， wondering， “What。 The。 Actual。 F**k？？”Read this one， folks… No matter what side of the aisle you may find yourself on - or NOT on。 。。。more
Lynne Perednia
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Excellently organized， cogent dissection of Barr's actions at the Department of Justice that shattered prosecutorial standards to serve his political and cultural beliefs。 A well-written primer on what happened that includes Honig's recommendations for how to restore integrity at DOJ。 The book resonates because his interest is in supporting the work at DOJ as far more important than making political points。 Excellently organized， cogent dissection of Barr's actions at the Department of Justice that shattered prosecutorial standards to serve his political and cultural beliefs。 A well-written primer on what happened that includes Honig's recommendations for how to restore integrity at DOJ。 The book resonates because his interest is in supporting the work at DOJ as far more important than making political points。 。。。more
Evan Fields
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I was really excited for Elie’s first book to come out。 He’s an unbelievably talented correspondent on all things legal when on the news and I knew he wouldn’t disappoint with this book。 I was lucky enough to get the book a little early and it went above and beyond my expectations。Elie’s writing voice and sense of humor blend with such a serious subject which leads you to breeze through the 260 pages。 We have all seen the news on this subject but he uses his experience and inside knowledge to fu I was really excited for Elie’s first book to come out。 He’s an unbelievably talented correspondent on all things legal when on the news and I knew he wouldn’t disappoint with this book。 I was lucky enough to get the book a little early and it went above and beyond my expectations。Elie’s writing voice and sense of humor blend with such a serious subject which leads you to breeze through the 260 pages。 We have all seen the news on this subject but he uses his experience and inside knowledge to further the story much more than you could have expected。 Full of frustration， shock， a sense of humor， and Elie’s writing voice， this book is perfect for anyone interested in politics， current events， or legal interests。 Outstanding for his first effort in the publishing world。 。。。more
Kato Justus
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🪓 For History Buffs， Legal Eagles， and Political JunkiesElie Honig’s debut novel 🪓Hatchet Man is a significant historical work berating Attorney General William Pelham Barr （born May 23， 1950） under the Trump administration。 As a former SDNY AG， Honig lays out a chronology with so many critically damning facts and detailed perspectives that readers are likely to highlight every page。 Barr first appeared on the public scene with his now-infamous “audition memo。” “In it， Barr writes that the pre 🪓 For History Buffs， Legal Eagles， and Political JunkiesElie Honig’s debut novel 🪓Hatchet Man is a significant historical work berating Attorney General William Pelham Barr （born May 23， 1950） under the Trump administration。 As a former SDNY AG， Honig lays out a chronology with so many critically damning facts and detailed perspectives that readers are likely to highlight every page。 Barr first appeared on the public scene with his now-infamous “audition memo。” “In it， Barr writes that the president has ‘complete authority to start or stop a law enforcement proceeding。’ Barr later amplifies this notion， declaring that ‘the President’s law enforcement powers extend to all matters， including those in which he has a personal stake。’”People may wonder why Barr， a wealthy， semi-retired， and former AG under H。W。 Bush， would want a second go at the job？ Honig’s insights offer a pretty straightforward answer: power and Barr’s conservative， right-wing， anti-secular， anti-gay ideology。 The AG holds staggering power。 He can make life and death decisions， has a security detail， people stand when he walks in the room “It can get heady being a prosecutor。 You hold unimaginable power， and you can do almost anything you please and go almost anywhere you want。” And “The prosecutor has more control over life， liberty， and reputation than any other person in America。”Barr’s ultimate demonstration of his power crescendoed on June 1， 2020。 After Trump’s insistence whining， Barr arranged to have unmarked law enforcement officers attack Black Lives Matter protesters in Lafayette Park。 These officers cleared the streets around St。 John’s church—so Trump could casually stroll over， stand in front of the church， hold a Bible， and have his picture taken。 The force used was savage as they clubbed， fired flash-bangs， rubber bullets， deployed pepper bombs/tear gas against the protesting citizens。Another example of Barr flexing his power is when he began executing death row inmates。 “…no federal inmate had actually been executed since 2003。 Following Barr’s orders， DOJ carried out ten executions from July 2020 through the end of Barr’s tenure in late December， all by lethal injection…” and to put a fine point on his power “…the federal government carried out three more executions after Barr left office but before the end of Trump’s presidency， on January 13， 14， and 16， 2021。 These people would have been spared once Biden took office just hours later。 But Barr made sure to flex the full might of his office， in the most dramatic manner， on his way out the door。”The second reason Barr wanted the AG job was to create cultural dissonance。 He actively sought to ingrain a Christian fundamentalist theocracy。 According to Barr， “religion was the answer to virtually all things: its proper role was to guide public life and impose order on society， and its absence caused widespread societal ills。”“Thus， Barr declared， ‘in the Framers’ view， free government was only suitable and sustainable for a religious people。’…only “religious people” can sustain free government。 Religion， ‘gives us the right rules to live by。’”“And in his view， it’s not so much religion itself that must prevail， but only a certain type of religion: ‘In fact， Judeo-Christian moral standards are the ultimate utilitarian rules for human conduct。’”In short， the Barr/Trump union was a match made in Hell。 Barr recognized he could use Trump as a vehicle to the power and ideological goals he deeply craved。 And， Trump did get his “Roy Cohn。” Together， they were a ghoulish nightmare， a dynamic， demonic duo。 Dare I say evil？At the end of the book， Honig makes policy recommendations to stop such a Barr/Trump fiasco from ever occurring again。 Honig recognizes the need for supporting legislation， but his main proposal is for additional， more strident rules and policies to the Justice Department’s manual。 I agree with Honig’s keen recommendations for rule changes。 However， I take issue with that assessment too。 What good are the rules， norms， and standards when the leaders simply throw the rule book out the window and spit on it？Before Barr started the job， the Justice Department’s Rule Book already had long-standing guidelines for nearly everything he bent or broke。 Rules are meaningless to people like Barr and Trump。 Here， in this one area， I think Honig is naive and pollyannish。 On this topic， Honig shows himself to be an optimistic hero in a cape and all because he thinks rules are enough。 For a good guy like Honig， honorably adhering to policy is all that is required。 However， for the Barrs of the world—new laws with inescapable “you will be indicted” harsh penalties are the only deterrent available。 Perhaps， in an updated version of his book， Honig will assess the laws that Congress should pass to stop this from ever happening again。I still have at least a dozen questions I’d love to hear Honig’s response to or see discussed。 Elie， would you be willing to entertain or respond to my questions？ A moot for your book？ 🪓Hatchet Man” is a well-written history of how Barr destroyed the Department of Justice。 It is jammed with facts and filled with the outrage one would expect from a former SDNY prosecutor—one of the good guys。 I highly recommend you preorder your July 6th copy right now。 。。。more
Nancy
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