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Interference: The Inside Story of Trump, Russia, and the Mueller Investigation
The behind-the-scenes story of the investigation that shook America to its core—the Mueller investigation that presented the evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election—as told by Robert Mueller’s closest colleagues, including never-before-revealed details into how the team investigated Putin’s campaign to favor candidate Donald Trump and Trump’s efforts to interfere in the investigation.
Interference is the true history of the most important and consequential decisions, obstacles, and quandaries Mueller and his team faced when investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. For the first time, Mueller’s only deputy, his most senior counselor who served on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force, and the lead prosecutor looking into obstruction of justice and Russian interference, have come together to tell a highly relevant and readable account of what it was like to carry out their investigation of election interference, as well as any connections that existed between the Russians and members of the Trump campaign.
Interference also highlights the many actions Russia took as it favored candidate Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton offering a powerful reminder of how committed Russia was to determine the outcome of the election. Ultimately, the special counsel brought indictments against thirty-four individuals and entities, including Trump’s campaign chairman; his deputy campaign chairman; a campaign advisor; his first national security advisor; and one of Trump’s longtime associates; as well as against Russian participants. Nearly every case that was able to proceed resulted in a guilty verdict or plea.
Interference explains the motivations and actions of Russia (which has not stopped exploiting America’s weaknesses), the importance and the limitations of a special counsel, and the need for people to make principled decisions even when being pushed from all directions not to. Much can be learned from the experiences faced by the Mueller special counsel office as it broke ground on some of the most complicated challenges facing our country—then and now. The narrative carries special relevance today, as the Supreme Court has sharply limited the conduct by a president that can be prosecuted—or even investigated.
Interference is the true history of the most important and consequential decisions, obstacles, and quandaries Mueller and his team faced when investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. For the first time, Mueller’s only deputy, his most senior counselor who served on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force, and the lead prosecutor looking into obstruction of justice and Russian interference, have come together to tell a highly relevant and readable account of what it was like to carry out their investigation of election interference, as well as any connections that existed between the Russians and members of the Trump campaign.
Interference also highlights the many actions Russia took as it favored candidate Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton offering a powerful reminder of how committed Russia was to determine the outcome of the election. Ultimately, the special counsel brought indictments against thirty-four individuals and entities, including Trump’s campaign chairman; his deputy campaign chairman; a campaign advisor; his first national security advisor; and one of Trump’s longtime associates; as well as against Russian participants. Nearly every case that was able to proceed resulted in a guilty verdict or plea.
Interference explains the motivations and actions of Russia (which has not stopped exploiting America’s weaknesses), the importance and the limitations of a special counsel, and the need for people to make principled decisions even when being pushed from all directions not to. Much can be learned from the experiences faced by the Mueller special counsel office as it broke ground on some of the most complicated challenges facing our country—then and now. The narrative carries special relevance today, as the Supreme Court has sharply limited the conduct by a president that can be prosecuted—or even investigated.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2024
127 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 40 reviews
September 29, 2024
This book is a fascinating look at Robert Mueller investigated allegations of Russian interference in American politics related to Donald Trump. If you, like me, were disappointed in the confusing and partisan representations of the investigation’s outcomes, including both conflicting narratives about the final report and how the findings were presented to the public, this is well worth reading. It is told in what I feel is a dispassionate manner, explaining what actions were or were not taken, why, and how. Importantly, it draws a sharp contrast between the apolitical and political interpretations and representations of the investigation and the ultimate findings. Despite the quantity of legalese, it was surprisingly readable.
October 7, 2024
Author Aaron Zebley was one of the lawyers hired first by Robert Mueller when he accepted the job of Special Counsel investigating the Trump/Russia affair. Mr. Mueller, Mr. Zebley and his colleagues set up a squeaky-clean office and made sure to follow every rule. This is the book that attempts to explain what they were doing all those months and why they got next to no result. The writing was simple and clear. Legal concepts were explained carefully. They did not spend too much time relating the facts of the investigation. Instead they explained what they did and why. Their arguments were generally reasonable if you didn't think too much about all the crimes left undiscovered and unpunished. They exonerated themselves for the confusion surrounding the initial release of their report. I think that was fair, because Bob Barr, the Attorney General in charge of making things go away since Iran-Contra, lied to them about the release and lied to the rest of us by misstating the findings. After the initial disappointment of the Barr misinformation, the Republicans added insult to injury by insisting that Mueller testify in Congress. He told the committee that he would not testify to anything not written in the report, and keeping that promises made him look very much like Joe Biden debating Trump, reducing his influence even further.
I was very impressed by the information handling skills of the Office of the Special Counsel, and by the foresight they showed in protecting the records of the investigation within the FBI.
History should judge us for letting Trump/Russia and the crimes in Ukraine, and slide out of the national discussion. Trump was not fooling anybody with his lies, but it's hard to catch a criminal POTUS, and harder yet to convict his co-conspirators (damned pardon power). I think it was wise for Mr. Zebley to wait years to write his explanation. It was such a hard lesson to learn that we could do nothing about so egregious a crime spree.
I was very impressed by the information handling skills of the Office of the Special Counsel, and by the foresight they showed in protecting the records of the investigation within the FBI.
History should judge us for letting Trump/Russia and the crimes in Ukraine, and slide out of the national discussion. Trump was not fooling anybody with his lies, but it's hard to catch a criminal POTUS, and harder yet to convict his co-conspirators (damned pardon power). I think it was wise for Mr. Zebley to wait years to write his explanation. It was such a hard lesson to learn that we could do nothing about so egregious a crime spree.
November 14, 2024
Fascinating and concerning read. Justice, the rule of law, presidential freedom and what happens when the public only hear part of the story.
November 6, 2024
Very thorough. Lot's of information already made public and much not previously released. Emphasis was made for secrecy and integrity of the Special Counsel Office. The investigation was true and above board despite all the lies and accusations made by Trump in his efforts to disgrace the DOJ. Their findings showed that Russia indeed influenced the 2016 election and would try again in 2024, which they did.
March 19, 2025
Very thorough. It boggles my mind that SO much evidence of corruption was uncovered and so many people believed that Trump was telling the truth and 99.999% of everyone else was lying. It really is as if an evil spell has been cast over so many Americans that they would put this horrible cruel liar back in the White House.
April 19, 2025
This is an authoritative and clear explanation of the rigorous process pursued by Robert Mueller and colleagues to investigate the Russian interference in the 2016 election and Trump's subsequent obstruction of justice. It's a dry read, with few surprises other than again what shits the MAGA heads are, especially Barr's unconscionable actions in distorting the final report's findings. And yet, in light of the outrageous act that commenced on Jan 20 2025, this book and the goals it attempted to accomplish seem almost quaint and naive, which in itself is a sad statement. Make no mistake: politicians are indeed above the law.
November 10, 2024
I agree with reviewers who consider this a must-read. What a different USA we live in from the one of All the Presidents Men and The Pentagon Papers. Foreign powers have their fingers in our democratic pie and aren’t about to stop when it has been so beneficial to them. Their aim? Chaos. Distrust. Polarization. Supportive foreign policies. The breakdown of our way of life. As recently as September of this year, the Justice Department seized 32 internet domains used in Russian government-directed foreign malign-influence campaigns. How can ordinary Americans fend off this effort? Being informed beyond tweets and partisan agendas is a first step.
Interference: The Inside Story of Trump, Russia, and the Mueller Investigation is a good window to understanding the on-going struggle to keep our country safe from foreign manipulation. It raises many sobering questions and provides a window to the processes, concerns, integrity and ethics of non-partisan investigations and the necessity for them.
Another reviewer mentioned how readable the text is and I agree. Mueller explained the questions that arise when investigating a sitting president and stressed the importance of being able to interview relevant parties, including the president, rather than settling for answers to written questions. As the investigation unfolded, the team reaffirmed its scope and mission and its adherence to a truth-finding mission in keeping with the law. The report explained why the critical decision on criminality did not rest with the special council but was the purview of Congress who had the power to impeach. Sadly, even a special council (nonpartisan by law) can be undermined when partisan politics interfere and produce a truncated and misleading report.
Interference: The Inside Story of Trump, Russia, and the Mueller Investigation is a good window to understanding the on-going struggle to keep our country safe from foreign manipulation. It raises many sobering questions and provides a window to the processes, concerns, integrity and ethics of non-partisan investigations and the necessity for them.
Another reviewer mentioned how readable the text is and I agree. Mueller explained the questions that arise when investigating a sitting president and stressed the importance of being able to interview relevant parties, including the president, rather than settling for answers to written questions. As the investigation unfolded, the team reaffirmed its scope and mission and its adherence to a truth-finding mission in keeping with the law. The report explained why the critical decision on criminality did not rest with the special council but was the purview of Congress who had the power to impeach. Sadly, even a special council (nonpartisan by law) can be undermined when partisan politics interfere and produce a truncated and misleading report.
November 5, 2024
This book is step by step report of the Mueller investigation of the Russian influence in the 2016 election written by the 3 top lawyers on Mueller's team.
There is a lot on the DOJ policies and procedures which defined the contours of their work. For instance there is detail on how they considered the search and arrest options before deciding on the “no knock” search of Paul Manafort's home and the means by which George Papadopouls was arrested.
You see how DOJ policies and reporting structure impeded a thorough investigation and accurate presentation of its findings.
---The DOJ policy of not prosecuting a sitting president led to the lack of follow up on candidate Donald Trump’s role in the interference case, and laid dormant the information on Donald Trump's attempts to thwart the investigation.
----- The Attorney General had the final say (despite that the Special Prosecutor’s position is designed to shield investigations from politics) in all things related to this investigation.
This book is worthy for its documentation of two important back stories: how President Trump ducked and dodged providing testimony and Robert Barr's maneuvers that assured that his “interpretation” of the investigative results received prominence in the national press.
Both the Mueller Report and this book are important for documenting the investigation but both are disappointing. They are weak tea compared for the kind of material needed to understand and stop foreign interference in our elections, particularly through the foreign use of American citizens.
There is a lot on the DOJ policies and procedures which defined the contours of their work. For instance there is detail on how they considered the search and arrest options before deciding on the “no knock” search of Paul Manafort's home and the means by which George Papadopouls was arrested.
You see how DOJ policies and reporting structure impeded a thorough investigation and accurate presentation of its findings.
---The DOJ policy of not prosecuting a sitting president led to the lack of follow up on candidate Donald Trump’s role in the interference case, and laid dormant the information on Donald Trump's attempts to thwart the investigation.
----- The Attorney General had the final say (despite that the Special Prosecutor’s position is designed to shield investigations from politics) in all things related to this investigation.
This book is worthy for its documentation of two important back stories: how President Trump ducked and dodged providing testimony and Robert Barr's maneuvers that assured that his “interpretation” of the investigative results received prominence in the national press.
Both the Mueller Report and this book are important for documenting the investigation but both are disappointing. They are weak tea compared for the kind of material needed to understand and stop foreign interference in our elections, particularly through the foreign use of American citizens.
November 28, 2024
You can also see this review, along with others I have written, at Mr. Book's Book Reviews.
Mr. Book just finished Interference: The Inside Story Of Trump, Russia And The Mueller Investigation, by Aaron Zebley, James Quarles and Andrew Goldstein.
This book was written by three of Robert Mueller’s top assistants and was published in September 2024.
This book was a big disappointment. There were no new revelations from these insiders, nor was it an interesting read. Judging solely by this book, one would conclude that the Mueller investigation was just a boring thing from an inside perspective.
But, the problem is, I’ve already gave Andrew Weissmann’s book, Where Law Ends, an A back in 2020. So that is the smoking gun evidence that it is possible to write a high quality book about what happened in Mueller’s investigation, written by an insider. But, this particular book was not up to that standard.
I give this book a C.
Goodreads requires grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, a C equates to 2 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
This review has been posted at my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews, and Goodreads.
Mr. Book finished reading this on November 28, 2024.
Mr. Book just finished Interference: The Inside Story Of Trump, Russia And The Mueller Investigation, by Aaron Zebley, James Quarles and Andrew Goldstein.
This book was written by three of Robert Mueller’s top assistants and was published in September 2024.
This book was a big disappointment. There were no new revelations from these insiders, nor was it an interesting read. Judging solely by this book, one would conclude that the Mueller investigation was just a boring thing from an inside perspective.
But, the problem is, I’ve already gave Andrew Weissmann’s book, Where Law Ends, an A back in 2020. So that is the smoking gun evidence that it is possible to write a high quality book about what happened in Mueller’s investigation, written by an insider. But, this particular book was not up to that standard.
I give this book a C.
Goodreads requires grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, a C equates to 2 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
This review has been posted at my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews, and Goodreads.
Mr. Book finished reading this on November 28, 2024.
April 9, 2025
If you are someone who isn't already well informed on the Mueller Report, from start to end, this would make for a good introduction-- and an explanation of what was investigated and what was not, as well as the conclusions of the report itself. Too many people, thanks to the misleading characterization of the completed report by Trump-appointed Attorney General Barr, to this day feel that the investigation was a waste of time, that Trump was completely exonerated, basically an Barr's false announcement of "Move along, nothing to see here." In fact there was A LOT to see but due to Barr's quick and misleading statements, the relationships between Trump's 2016 campaign with Russian intelligence, the full scope of Russian interference, and Trump's obstruction of justice on several counts have drifted into dim memory. As I say, it's a good introduction but seriously, if you want to understand the full story read the Mueller Report itself. The then-surprising actions of Trump were a preview of what was to come.
October 12, 2025
Super read. I read the Mueller Report when it was finally released after following what led up to it and what little was put out .... nothing from the Mueller team ... but other speculation. Like many I hoped that the investigation would lead to setting the country back on the right track. Looking back so much of what was done was a trial run and so many people could have done something to stop the train wreck we are now dealing with. There were some portions what were repeated -- that can happen in a multi-authored book, especially when there is key information that needs to be provided. The authors teach a class that I wish they'd offer through Coursera.org or other online platform. For someone like me with a legal background it would be a fascinated course; for others an amazing education. I've been surprised at how little has been said about this well written, educational book. I only found it because my local library had one of those "if you like this you'll like this one too" links on it's page.
March 24, 2025
This book has ended my current status as a political hermit … Donald Trump and his band of Happy Lunatics has soured me on anything to do with our government. This bunch has ignored rules, laws and decorum … a must in society … or we will have chaos! This is an understandable read … given the legal implications and explanations. This read helps one understand what is happening in Washington and by whom … and, will assist the reader in understanding the entire Mueller investigation. I now intend to read the Mueller Report … this book should be required reading in every high school curriculum throughout this great country … the rule of law must always prevail … no matter the individual. My personal opinion … the president should be held accountable for every action he or she has taken … no one should be above the law!
November 9, 2024
This is the story of the Mueller report, how it was investigated, its findings, and how it was perceived by the public. The authors were the key assistants to Bob Mueller and were involved from the beginning. The book is dry in my opinion but does work its way through all the problems, questions, and findings of the special consul. Personally, I think most can just read the last chapter to understand what the investigators felt were the findings in the probe. For sure you can get the main the main points in the final 3 chapters. I can tell you that the investigators were very much displeased with Attorney General Barr's synopsis that we released before the full report was made public and that it did not reflect the findings of the special counsel.
December 4, 2024
I watched this investigation ridiculously closely and it was very clear what was happening. However, false accusations from those being investigated and the complicated nature of the material left most of the public behind. The investigation could not be broken down into sound bytes, but lies dismissing it could. Then Barr did Mueller and his team wrong by releasing a false version of their report. Congress did not act responsibly. The ball was in their court.
The warning in the preface of this book about the dangers of Russian interference in our elections and our continued unpreparedness for these threats is especially vivid now. The book was released in time to influence voters in 2024, if those who needed to hear it were listening. They weren't.
The warning in the preface of this book about the dangers of Russian interference in our elections and our continued unpreparedness for these threats is especially vivid now. The book was released in time to influence voters in 2024, if those who needed to hear it were listening. They weren't.
May 6, 2025
A both enjoyable and important read, this book endeared a great respect for the work of the Mueller Special Counsel’s Office (SCO) regarding its deliberate, meticulous, and apolitical investigation. My main takeaway is the harm caused by Attorney General Bill Barr’s disingenuous public interpretation of the SCO final report. AG Barr deliberately undermined the work of the SCO and was overtly deceptive in his attempt to water down SCO findings and deceive both Congress and the American people as to its conclusions. Subsequent opinions by the Supreme Court in 2024 further weaken the justice system by limiting potential investigation and prosecution of the criminal activity of a sitting president. This makes us weaker as a nation.
February 9, 2025
This book is a must-read for anyone even mildly interested in politics, institutionalism, or American governance. The level of detail and storytelling make it read like a thriller, keeping you engaged from start to finish. My respect for Robert Mueller and his team grew immensely after reading this, as did my understanding of institutionalism and U.S. politics. It’s an incredible, eye-opening account that offers deep insights into one of the most significant investigations in modern history. Highly recommended!
January 31, 2025
Everything I wanted to know about the Robert Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. If you have been confused by what you have read online, this will really help clarify the results of the investigation. A very good read, with background information and and explanation of the process of independent investigation.
November 23, 2024
A Must for Those Who Care About The Rule of Law
It is about time the public understands why the Mueller Report was denied its efficacy. Mark its words today. Russia 's conduct persists.
It is about time the public understands why the Mueller Report was denied its efficacy. Mark its words today. Russia 's conduct persists.
November 6, 2024
dnf. Not much new. Pretty disgusting miscarriage of justice.
November 12, 2024
The 'Just-us' story.
November 21, 2024
Well written summary of the investigation that will be an important record of events - like books about Watergate were/are. Especially painful to revisit the details in Nov. 2024!!!
December 23, 2024
A necessary recounting of the Mueller Investigation to set the story straight.
January 18, 2025
Intriguing information. A bit more detailed than I choose typically to read
February 5, 2025
Enlightening but still seemed slanted.
Currently reading
February 22, 2025I'm still reading this, but so far it's very good. Well written so not too heavy for a book of this subject matter.
February 23, 2025
A slanted but interesting read, whatever your political leaning
February 23, 2025
Very complicated documentation of the creation the Mueller Report. interesting, but hard to follow all of the government legal interactions.
April 5, 2025
Well written and provides the truth about Russian interference with our elections and the President who colluded with them
Displaying 1 - 29 of 40 reviews