I finished reading Peter Strzok’s book Compromised.
This book is for those who want an inside look at the FBI, an inside look at the Mueller investigation, and/or an introduction to law enforcement and counterintelligence (including the difference).
It’s also a chilling look at Trump’s vindictiveness and destructiveness.
It’s no surprise that a president who doesn’t care how many Americans die of a virus doesn’t care if he destroys the life of anyone who crosses him or seeks to expose the truth about him.
This book is also a defense against the unhinged right-wing attacks on the FBI. Strzok never mentions the Fourth Amendment (the amendment protecting Americans from unreasonable searches, seizures, and surveillance) but he outlines the procedures the FBI follows. “The FBI spied on the Trump campaign!!” crowd won’t read the book, but for those curious to learn how it all works, this book explains.
Strzok also explains what he means by “compromised” and why Trump is a national security nightmare.
Trump looked to Russia for political advantage (“Russia, are you listening?”) and as a source of personal income (Trump Tower Moscow.) As a result, he must rely on Russia to keep his secrets, which puts him in thrall to a foreign government from fear, greed, or both.
Whether there was evidence to support a criminal conviction for conspiracy (“did the Trump campaign “collude” with Russia?”) is an entirely different question from whether Trump is compromised and a national security threat. Yes, he’s compromised. That makes him dangerous.
The disproportionality of Strzok’ career destroyed because of minor missteps while Trump engages in relentless lawbreaking is glaring.
The same disproportionality shows up in the GOP relentless, years-long pursuit of Hillary Clinton (Benghazi and “her emails”). While the GOP was obsessively trying to bring down Hillary Clinton, nobody was paying attention as Russia prepared to attack our country, and Donald Trump was busy compromising himself. Thus the “her emails” distraction was a boon to Russia.
The book is also Strzok’s memoir of decades of service to the country.
After being attacked, lied about, and unreasonably accused of treason by the president, Strzok deserves the chance to tell his story.
It’s also fun to read. You’ll hit sentences like this one ⤵️
You’ll learn the inside story of the Russian spies behind the popular series, “The Americans.”
I’m reading Cohen’s book now:
There’s overlap. Trump’s lied during the 2016 campaign about business deals with Russia compromised him. Cohen was negotiating those deals.
Strzok’s sense was that TrumpWorld is a bunch of grifters, each pursuing his or her own money and power-driven agendas:
Reading these books side by side is a fascinating study in what drives people to do good (Strzok) and what lures them to the dark side (Cohen).
Peter Strzok is the quintessential good guy—a lifetime of honorable service based on the belief that what matters is truth.
Michael Cohen is the bad guy, lured to the dark side by the promise of wealth and power.
Bad guys have a perennial fascination. But the good guys—particularly those destroyed by outlaws and grifters—deserve the chance to clear their name and tell their side of the story.
P.S in case you’re worried, no, Peter Strzok didn’t really rob a bank. He’s the good guy, remember?
