Hatchet Man Audiobook By Elie Honig cover art

Hatchet Man

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

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Hatchet Man

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
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What listeners say about Hatchet Man

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A prosecutor knows

Elie Honig knows what he’s talking about. He’s a great narrator and the personal anecdotes he uses are spot on.

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7 people found this helpful

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Beyond insightful

Informative and as expected concerning to think one person’s ideology could be forced on to a supposedly free country

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Went By Too Quick!

I really enjoyed the layout of the book. This is a good breakdown of how the DOJ should be run and how Barr did the exact opposite. I am fascinated with the mob cases and hope Elie will write a book on that topic next. A podcast on prosecuting the mob would be great!

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Written like a prosecutor

This was a fascinating and compelling read. Eli really brings his experience to the table here and helped me to understand key details of Barr's tenure that I wasn't able to pick up in the popular media. I highly recommend this book.

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The horrible prosecutor: The inside story

I’m not a lawyer. I am a mother. And, if Bill Barr was my child regardless of his age, I’d put him over my knee snd give him a xxxxxxxx and remind him that if he wants to behave like a child then he’ll be treated as a child. Sad.

In my opinion, Barr is a pathetic human being who needs to be disbarred! Ugh

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An all-time best

I loved that Eli narrated it himself, it definitely put a punch behind the words. He's tactful, and precisely sharp as he cuts through the subject. His light humor and pattern of real-life examples of a Prosecutor's daily experiences makes his correlations effortless.

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Great book

Make sure to read before Barr’s book makes the news. Extremely informative. This was money well spent.

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Captivating insider’s look

A deeply insightful (and alarming) look at Bill Barr’s dubious tenure as Trump lapdog and Attorney General. Honig’s call-it-like-he-sees-it style is engaging and reveals just how deeply Mr. Barr perverted his position and the lofty ideals of the Justice Department for personal and political ends.

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Well written indictment of Barr

This is a well written, easily understood indictment of Barr as an unscrupulous, political hack and his corruption of the DOJ. I am not an attorney so I especially appreciate that Honig explains Barr's complete corruption and absolute lack of character without dry legalese. I felt like a member of a jury in a crime family case, listening to cogent closing arguments by a seasoned prosecutor. I highly recommend this book.

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Fantastic!

This book is an eye opener. I just could not stop listening to it. Elie Honig is masterful in his performance and writing.

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