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Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice
This true legal thriller debunks everything the media and the government told us about the Department of Justice’s destruction and prosecution of the venerable accounting firm Arthur Andersen, Merrill Lynch executives who did one business transaction with Enron, Alaska Senator Ted Steven’s, and more. The common thread through it all is a cabal of narcissistic federal prosecutors who broke all the rules and rose to great power. Still in the news today—Robert Mueller s “pitbull" Andrew Weissmann and other members of Obama's inner circle—are wreaking havoc on our Republic. This is the book that began exposing “the Deep State.”
464 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
February 17, 2015
The fire lit by Sidney Powell's research and discovery - corruption in the Department of Justice - can never get hot enough. Her tenacity and integrity is exactly what we need in DC, not anywhere else. Her book will make you angry. The fact that the lying, manipulative attorneys behind the DOJ scandal are not only still practicing but are being supported and promoted by the Obama administration makes me wonder why people go to law school in the first place.
The book is a must read. But be prepared...her findings are not easy to swallow.
The book is a must read. But be prepared...her findings are not easy to swallow.
January 12, 2020
From the blurb: A tragic suicide, a likely murder, wrongful imprisonment, and gripping courtroom scenes draw readers into this compelling story giving them a frightening perspective on justice corrupted and who should be accountable when evidence is withheld. Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice is the true story of the strong-arm, illegal, and unethical tactics used by headline-grabbing federal prosecutors in their narcissistic pursuit of power. Its scope reaches from the US Department of Justice to the US Senate, the FBI, and the White House. This true story is a scathing attack on corrupt prosecutors, the judges who turned a blind eye to these injustices, and the president who has promoted them to powerful political positions.
Chief Judge Alex Kozinsky, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit wrote in the Foreword:
Sidney Powell has more testosterone than pretty much any room full of lawyers, be they men or women. Writing a book like this more than proves it. Not only does she take on, by name, prosecutors and former prosecutors who continue to serve in powerful and responsible positions, she is also relentless in criticizing judges before whom she practiced for years. Few lawyers have the stones to do this. ... Read the entire blurb.
The ENRON case had more stories to tell than was ever revealed. Powell gets to it in this book, reporting on the innocent people who went to jail due to Brady-evidence(exculpatory evidence) which was withheld from the accused citizens. The same in the Ted Stevens case. She discusses other high profile cases in which the same thing happened to innocent people.
It was a riveting experience. It often felt like being in the center of a court room drama, from the lowest to highest courts in the country. If you haven't read it, you should. She takes the reader through a 'house of legal horrors', as Dr. Michael Adams, Associate Professor of English at the University of Texas expressed his opinion. He included: The greatest human ideal of Justice is only as good as the character of those who administer it, existing only if its guardians are devotees to integrity and fairness In certain prosecutors's hands this ideal proof to be worthless.
Prof. Adams also said: Licensed to Lie is a disturbing, enlightening, and superbly presented account of one of the most dramatic and chilling examples of injustice in American judicial history. Written with the skill of a novelist, the keen eye of a memoirist, and the passion of an early American pamphleteer, Powell takes readers on a journey through an institutional landscape created to protect the innocent and punish the guilty.
Sidney Powell is an insider. From her website: Sidney the Attorney represents individuals, corporations, and governments in federal appeals in complex commercial litigation. She has practiced law, primarily in the Fifth Federal Circuit for decades. She has been lead counsel in more than 500 federal appeals—350 of them as an Assistant United States Attorney and Appellate Section Chief in the Western and Northern Districts of Texas. She is a past president of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and the Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit, and a member of the American Law Institute. This author, and lawyer is defending the truth and fairness in a system that is broken. Her website
What probably might come as a surprise to many, is the number of verdicts which got reversed, particularly in the ENRON case, which, until today, are not reflected in Wikipedia, nor the media. In fact, the prosecutors who withheld the Brady-evidence in those cases, became superstars in the department of Justice, the White House and government. They could not be prosecuted themselves, since they have immunity. Their dirty actions were just swept under the rug. The reversal of the Ted Stevens verdict is another big surprise. It's all laid out in this book.
ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED
Chief Judge Alex Kozinsky, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit wrote in the Foreword:
Sidney Powell has more testosterone than pretty much any room full of lawyers, be they men or women. Writing a book like this more than proves it. Not only does she take on, by name, prosecutors and former prosecutors who continue to serve in powerful and responsible positions, she is also relentless in criticizing judges before whom she practiced for years. Few lawyers have the stones to do this. ... Read the entire blurb.
The ENRON case had more stories to tell than was ever revealed. Powell gets to it in this book, reporting on the innocent people who went to jail due to Brady-evidence(exculpatory evidence) which was withheld from the accused citizens. The same in the Ted Stevens case. She discusses other high profile cases in which the same thing happened to innocent people.
It was a riveting experience. It often felt like being in the center of a court room drama, from the lowest to highest courts in the country. If you haven't read it, you should. She takes the reader through a 'house of legal horrors', as Dr. Michael Adams, Associate Professor of English at the University of Texas expressed his opinion. He included: The greatest human ideal of Justice is only as good as the character of those who administer it, existing only if its guardians are devotees to integrity and fairness In certain prosecutors's hands this ideal proof to be worthless.
Prof. Adams also said: Licensed to Lie is a disturbing, enlightening, and superbly presented account of one of the most dramatic and chilling examples of injustice in American judicial history. Written with the skill of a novelist, the keen eye of a memoirist, and the passion of an early American pamphleteer, Powell takes readers on a journey through an institutional landscape created to protect the innocent and punish the guilty.
Sidney Powell is an insider. From her website: Sidney the Attorney represents individuals, corporations, and governments in federal appeals in complex commercial litigation. She has practiced law, primarily in the Fifth Federal Circuit for decades. She has been lead counsel in more than 500 federal appeals—350 of them as an Assistant United States Attorney and Appellate Section Chief in the Western and Northern Districts of Texas. She is a past president of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and the Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit, and a member of the American Law Institute. This author, and lawyer is defending the truth and fairness in a system that is broken. Her website
What probably might come as a surprise to many, is the number of verdicts which got reversed, particularly in the ENRON case, which, until today, are not reflected in Wikipedia, nor the media. In fact, the prosecutors who withheld the Brady-evidence in those cases, became superstars in the department of Justice, the White House and government. They could not be prosecuted themselves, since they have immunity. Their dirty actions were just swept under the rug. The reversal of the Ted Stevens verdict is another big surprise. It's all laid out in this book.
ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED
February 3, 2018
Disturbingly pertinent. Extra-legal Department of Justice practices did not begin under Attorney General Holder nor did they end there. From the persecution of Sen. Tad Stevens, thru the Enron trials right thru to the HRC investigation and the Trump investigation DOJ has jettisoned its role as upholder of justice and donned the role of rogue prosecutor.
2/2/18: Nunes Report: Refusal to present exculpatory evidence to FISA Court. Just part of what may be the worst political scandal in US History... it continues...
2/2/18: Nunes Report: Refusal to present exculpatory evidence to FISA Court. Just part of what may be the worst political scandal in US History... it continues...
January 22, 2018
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a lawyer so a lot of the legal matter in this book were unfamiliar to me.
I love this book! I hate this book in what it reveals! To me it represents several books in one. First it is a text book on legal matters and the US courts. Second it is a book on legal ethics and oath of offices by attorneys. Third it is a history book on both situations that have existed in America and the people those situations have impacted. Fourth it also reads like a crime book by everyone involved from the defendants to the prosecutors and even to the judges involved.
My overall opinion of the book thus far is so distant to what I HAD (past tense) believed about our judicial system of justice in America. I accepted the fact that innocent people could be found guilty in a court of law even though both the defense and the prosecution did their best in what they believed to be the law and the facts. But what I was not prepared for was the criminal deceit, the hiding of evidence, the misleading of witnesses, the threatening of witnesses and their families, and the lackadaisical attitude by so many judges all leading to conviction of defendants who may have been innocent and probably were innocent.
In 1965 I took an Oath to Defend the Constitution of the United States. I took a similar oath in 1977. In both cases the oaths I took HAD NO EXPIRATION DATES ON THEM nor did I ever sign any document that said I no longer had a responsibility to defend the Constitution. The lawyers involved in this book also took very similar oaths of office but it was obvious from the very beginning of the book that the oaths that some of the lawyers in the book and even the judges took, had no bearing on their actions they took or failed to take.
This has been one of the most interesting books I have ever read even though a lot of the legal matters discussed were over my head and hard to follow. Still, I had no difficulty in understanding how government lawyers you would have thought would have followed the law, but instead used whatever methods they thought were right, ethics be damned, to win a case. Their activities destroyed not just one life but the lives of families, friends, businesses and in the case of the Arthur Anderson case that was reversed, the loss of over 85,000 jobs and Arthur Anderson itself.
While this has been an extremely interesting read, it has also been one of the most disgusting books I have ever read and that is no reflection on the author or the writing. It puts politics into our government and in this case, THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING.
Who should read this book? EVERY AMERICAN! Would I give the book as a gift? Not sure that if I did the recipients would take the time to read it but I would still give it as a gift. Will I read it again? Probably not. I know what it says and I don't like what I have read but that doesn't mean you should not read it. On the contrary, if you are a dedicated American (not everyone is). then you SHOULD read it. You will see a side of government that you may have suspected existed but this confirms it. SICKENING to say the least.
I love this book! I hate this book in what it reveals! To me it represents several books in one. First it is a text book on legal matters and the US courts. Second it is a book on legal ethics and oath of offices by attorneys. Third it is a history book on both situations that have existed in America and the people those situations have impacted. Fourth it also reads like a crime book by everyone involved from the defendants to the prosecutors and even to the judges involved.
My overall opinion of the book thus far is so distant to what I HAD (past tense) believed about our judicial system of justice in America. I accepted the fact that innocent people could be found guilty in a court of law even though both the defense and the prosecution did their best in what they believed to be the law and the facts. But what I was not prepared for was the criminal deceit, the hiding of evidence, the misleading of witnesses, the threatening of witnesses and their families, and the lackadaisical attitude by so many judges all leading to conviction of defendants who may have been innocent and probably were innocent.
In 1965 I took an Oath to Defend the Constitution of the United States. I took a similar oath in 1977. In both cases the oaths I took HAD NO EXPIRATION DATES ON THEM nor did I ever sign any document that said I no longer had a responsibility to defend the Constitution. The lawyers involved in this book also took very similar oaths of office but it was obvious from the very beginning of the book that the oaths that some of the lawyers in the book and even the judges took, had no bearing on their actions they took or failed to take.
This has been one of the most interesting books I have ever read even though a lot of the legal matters discussed were over my head and hard to follow. Still, I had no difficulty in understanding how government lawyers you would have thought would have followed the law, but instead used whatever methods they thought were right, ethics be damned, to win a case. Their activities destroyed not just one life but the lives of families, friends, businesses and in the case of the Arthur Anderson case that was reversed, the loss of over 85,000 jobs and Arthur Anderson itself.
While this has been an extremely interesting read, it has also been one of the most disgusting books I have ever read and that is no reflection on the author or the writing. It puts politics into our government and in this case, THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING.
Who should read this book? EVERY AMERICAN! Would I give the book as a gift? Not sure that if I did the recipients would take the time to read it but I would still give it as a gift. Will I read it again? Probably not. I know what it says and I don't like what I have read but that doesn't mean you should not read it. On the contrary, if you are a dedicated American (not everyone is). then you SHOULD read it. You will see a side of government that you may have suspected existed but this confirms it. SICKENING to say the least.
August 4, 2018
So well written, you forget it's a true story.
And then the disbelief and anger set in. Heard about this book on the Rush Limbaugh show and decided to get it. I was surprised it was written about events from 10 years ago and the same people are still in power and are still playing their games. They are not held to account for their blatant disregard for the law. Something needs to be done or it could happen to any of us.
And then the disbelief and anger set in. Heard about this book on the Rush Limbaugh show and decided to get it. I was surprised it was written about events from 10 years ago and the same people are still in power and are still playing their games. They are not held to account for their blatant disregard for the law. Something needs to be done or it could happen to any of us.
December 6, 2020
Sidney Powell is a polarizing figure to say the least and as such, I can only urge you to read this book for yourself. I may be able to write a review of it at some later date, but for now considering all the political turmoil in the country and the author in the center of the maelstrom (although quite apart from her excellent book here) it seems best to let it stand on its own merits. It is excellent but I also defer to this review by a legal scholar better able to assess her skills than myself. He includes some criticisms of her book which seem valid.
August 5, 2018
This is a must read expose of what is going on in our Department of Injustice. A story of the Federal Prosecutors who covered up exculpatory evidence and defied the "Brady law" (which requires any and all evidence in favor of the defense to be given to the defense) against the small players in the Enron case as well as others (Senator Ted Stevens case -- dismissed by circuit court) to further their own careers and interests. (Today the same Federal prosecutors are working in prestigious and high paying jobs, while the innocent people they put in prison had their lives destroyed). Be aware that you will be yelling while you read this because of the lack of ethics, fairness and just blatant disregard of Constitutional law that seems to be "business as usual" for some Federal Prosecutors, including Andrew Weissmann (now top prosecutor for DOJ Special Counsel Robert Mueller). For justice to be done, there must be judges who will fairly deal justice according to the law. Failing that, we are no better than a third world despotic nation. Note that the same prosecutors who ruined the lives of innocent people, including thousands of innocent employees of Arthur Andersen accounting firm who lost their jobs are now working for Robert Mueller in the current Manafort trial. How do you think that one will turn out? Don't hold your breath for justice to be served. Read this book and get a little more perspective on what's going on; it's well written and well documented with explanation of legal policies and terms written for the lay person.
February 5, 2015
This is a book about one of the Enron trials written by the losing (appelate) counsel complaining of the varioius infractions committed by the prosecutors. She is obviously a smart person and makes a good case. Repetitively. And she is outraged. Repetitively. The problem is that she is not a disinterested observer, and it is impossible to tell when, or if, the lawyering ends and the objective reporting begins. It probably doesn't. I have no reason to believe the prosecutors in the two cases she focuses on did not abuse their discretion and conceal evidence from the defendant, nor do I have any reason to believe the judge in the principial case wasn't totally and unthoughtfully in the hands of the prosecution. But I sure would like to hear from the other side, and I would like a reporter to investigate how rampant such behavior is. Should I worry that these cases are typical, and prosecutors in this country will sacrifice justice for an ill-gotten victory over an innocent man or is this just aberrational? Without a feel for that, this book is a lot less important to me than it is to her.
December 24, 2018
This was such an interesting read but I was truly saddened by the eye opening abuse of prosecutorial power. Lawyers, not all but some high profile withheld exculpatory evidence and ignored the Brady material that was the right of the defense. Threatening and badgering witnesses and delaying the process in order to get a win at all costs. These are well documented high profile cases that Powell leads you through citing one abuse after the other.
Justice lawyers simply moved up the ladder with private companies and most eventually landed back with the.government without as much as a slap on the hand! It certainly gives you a view in to the two tiered justice system! There were ruined lives, companies and millions of taxpayers dollars wasted .
Sydney Powell is a very strong and brilliant woman,
I love hearing her views on TV. Great read!
Justice lawyers simply moved up the ladder with private companies and most eventually landed back with the.government without as much as a slap on the hand! It certainly gives you a view in to the two tiered justice system! There were ruined lives, companies and millions of taxpayers dollars wasted .
Sydney Powell is a very strong and brilliant woman,
I love hearing her views on TV. Great read!
August 6, 2018
Why the swamp needs draining
Ms. Powell does a good job weaving very intricate and complex legal issues into a story that if it wasn’t real, you would not believe. Although it seems some of the material is repetitious (how many times are you going to make the point), the level of corruption that it reveals warrants the regurgitation. It’s the only way to fully understand how many times the prosecutors tried to inflict pain on her client.
The sad part about this whole story is that this could happen to any one of us “little people” who may not have the financial resources to defend ourselves like her client did. Thank you for revealing this issue. It is now up to us citizens to act to clean up this corruption by encouraging Congress to clean up the rules around Brady.
Ms. Powell does a good job weaving very intricate and complex legal issues into a story that if it wasn’t real, you would not believe. Although it seems some of the material is repetitious (how many times are you going to make the point), the level of corruption that it reveals warrants the regurgitation. It’s the only way to fully understand how many times the prosecutors tried to inflict pain on her client.
The sad part about this whole story is that this could happen to any one of us “little people” who may not have the financial resources to defend ourselves like her client did. Thank you for revealing this issue. It is now up to us citizens to act to clean up this corruption by encouraging Congress to clean up the rules around Brady.
February 19, 2019
Published in 2014 this topic remains on the cutting edge of journalism today. Sidney Powell is both an astute prosecutor and defense lawyer. Through her book she fully documented her defense case that top prosecutors within the Department of Justice hid evidence to promote their personal careers in both the Enron case and the case against Alaskan U.S. Senator Stevens.
Sadly high level corruption and dishonesty within the Department of Justice continues to exist, which must be cleaned up. Truth justice and ethics must prevail in America.
On a side note: Last month North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Martin was a guest speaker at my rotary club. He stated that in 2008 he attended the World Justice Forum in Vienna, Austria. On the final day of the conference a member of the Egyptian group stood and proclaimed to the audience that the American judicial system was the best in the world. What followed was a standing ovation by all from 82 different nations. I hope, but wonder if those countries have the same level of faith in our system 11 years later.
Sadly high level corruption and dishonesty within the Department of Justice continues to exist, which must be cleaned up. Truth justice and ethics must prevail in America.
On a side note: Last month North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Martin was a guest speaker at my rotary club. He stated that in 2008 he attended the World Justice Forum in Vienna, Austria. On the final day of the conference a member of the Egyptian group stood and proclaimed to the audience that the American judicial system was the best in the world. What followed was a standing ovation by all from 82 different nations. I hope, but wonder if those countries have the same level of faith in our system 11 years later.
February 4, 2019
This is an amazing, enlightening, and frightening story about the state of justice in this country now. It's long been obvious that justice is available only to those who can afford it, but this book shows just how it might not be available to anyone not a member of the swamp.
How long will Weissmann and all the ethically challenged lawyers and judges be able to continue without any consequences to them?
We see the same kind of situation happening in Washington state now - an aggressive, partisan, crooked attorney general who has decided to destroy a prominent political opponent, and there is no recourse at all. The partisan media won't even tell the public. We can expect this stuff in Chicago and New York, but Olympia? How many other states have the same problems?
Scary.
How long will Weissmann and all the ethically challenged lawyers and judges be able to continue without any consequences to them?
We see the same kind of situation happening in Washington state now - an aggressive, partisan, crooked attorney general who has decided to destroy a prominent political opponent, and there is no recourse at all. The partisan media won't even tell the public. We can expect this stuff in Chicago and New York, but Olympia? How many other states have the same problems?
Scary.
January 26, 2015
I have mixed thoughts on this book. I don’t know enough about the law to know when some things were accurate, stretching it, etc.But the premise that some prosecutors and judges lie because convictions are more important than truth, rings true to so many more stories. I would impressed if the author turns her attention to people who face unethical prosecutors and end up with decades or their lives lost, instead of months. Yet anything that draws attention to the need to keep our system ethical is, in my opinion, a good thing.
November 13, 2015
Ms. Powell writes a very long mediocre hackneyed fiction work! The author markets this book as a commentary on the injustice of our Justice system. Well, perhaps a non-fiction book would have been appropriate because this book fell flat for me. It makes Sidney Powell appear as a disgruntled DA with an ax to grind and even less skill as an author. She is, however, giving criminal and author, Bernard Kerik, some competition for what Matt Taibi called the "most disgusting book of" the year (From Jailer to Jailed)! Ha! Happy reading, everyone!
January 6, 2019
I just finished “Licensed To Lie” by Sidney Powell, attorney for Jim Brown in an indictment against him by our government. If you are in the camp who’s sole wish is to bring down a sitting President, I’ve no doubt you will get your wish. The book has absolute proof of the abuse of power by our Justice Dpt. to lie, conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses into lying, keep key witnesses from testifying, commit perjury, misrepresent the law to the jury and basically rewrite the law to suite their case. SHOCKING stuff!
Jim Brown spent a year in prison and almost 8 years of probation while "the government had supervised him, controlled his life, and jerked him around....about a deal he warned Merrill Lynch not to do". He was completely innocent of any wrong doing.
The book also goes into the abuse and injustices suffered by Sen. Ted Stevens, Dan Bayly and Rob Furst among others whose lives were unfairly damaged.
"Meanwhile the prosecutors truly responsible for these injustices are not only unscathed but flourishing".
"Unless and until these prosecutors are convicted in the court of public opinion, or disbarred, these very powerful and POLITICALLY CONNECTED lawyers are still licensed to lie."
Jim Brown spent a year in prison and almost 8 years of probation while "the government had supervised him, controlled his life, and jerked him around....about a deal he warned Merrill Lynch not to do". He was completely innocent of any wrong doing.
The book also goes into the abuse and injustices suffered by Sen. Ted Stevens, Dan Bayly and Rob Furst among others whose lives were unfairly damaged.
"Meanwhile the prosecutors truly responsible for these injustices are not only unscathed but flourishing".
"Unless and until these prosecutors are convicted in the court of public opinion, or disbarred, these very powerful and POLITICALLY CONNECTED lawyers are still licensed to lie."
January 14, 2016
A little long/repetitive, but interesting and scary.
August 1, 2025
"Licensed to Lie" is an amazing book written by Sidney Powell. An attorney herself, she wrote from her own experiences and involvement in the complex legal issues in the story which covers the Enron period and its aftermath. The level of corruption by the prosecution (including many lawyers) was staggering to read about ... and hard to actually believe at times. It's all based on a true story! It elicits emotions, such as empathy, anger, hope and more. Anyone who has any interest in legal issues in general or freedom in particular, should read this story.
January 17, 2021
I give this 3 stars in spite of how difficult it is to read and pay attention to and how the writer has a clear bias in all the matters she cites.
The Good: believable because she proves the corruption. Like a good lawyer, she addresses every single claim (that we know of) and refutes it, over and over again. She is very thorough and leaves no stone unturned, giving detailed examples of just how the DOJ promotes corruption. She proves it and does so over the course of something like 10 years.
The Bad: She seems well-researched and knowledgeable but there is a conflict of interest with her position as defense of certain ENRON/ Merrill Lynch executives and what she is trying to prove. The main purpose of the book is to prove that corruption occurs within the DOJ and she does this by proving that prosecutors in cases she has worked have concealed Brady evidence from the defense. That is the premise. Where she begins to lose me is when she veers off that track and makes opinionated statements about the defendants in cases that aren't based on facts, but on her opinion. To me, it seems childish and really just adds clutter to the already wordy text. An example was when Senator Ted Stevens was on trial for bribery because a contractor didn't make him pay the full bill for renovations to his house. The cost of the renovations were estimated to be something like$165K by the defense and he had only been asked to pay half. Sidney remarks something like, "It didn't look like $165k of work to me!" Her personal opinion is completely irrelevant when it comes to details of the case like this, because her opinions or perceptions are not facts. She makes comments akin to this throughout the book that distract from the main point.
On the whole, it would've been better if someone had written this book with a more objective viewpoint, though the only reason this book exists as it is is because if how intimately familiar she was with these cases.
Also adding clutter is the incessant repition of facts. It made for a laborious read, however did add the purpose of reaffirming the point,, making sure the reader really comprehended it.
Overall it was a good book, but the laborious nature of the text and some of the irrelevant comments that sounded like they came from a poor loser made me dock a star I otherwise would've given.
The Good: believable because she proves the corruption. Like a good lawyer, she addresses every single claim (that we know of) and refutes it, over and over again. She is very thorough and leaves no stone unturned, giving detailed examples of just how the DOJ promotes corruption. She proves it and does so over the course of something like 10 years.
The Bad: She seems well-researched and knowledgeable but there is a conflict of interest with her position as defense of certain ENRON/ Merrill Lynch executives and what she is trying to prove. The main purpose of the book is to prove that corruption occurs within the DOJ and she does this by proving that prosecutors in cases she has worked have concealed Brady evidence from the defense. That is the premise. Where she begins to lose me is when she veers off that track and makes opinionated statements about the defendants in cases that aren't based on facts, but on her opinion. To me, it seems childish and really just adds clutter to the already wordy text. An example was when Senator Ted Stevens was on trial for bribery because a contractor didn't make him pay the full bill for renovations to his house. The cost of the renovations were estimated to be something like$165K by the defense and he had only been asked to pay half. Sidney remarks something like, "It didn't look like $165k of work to me!" Her personal opinion is completely irrelevant when it comes to details of the case like this, because her opinions or perceptions are not facts. She makes comments akin to this throughout the book that distract from the main point.
On the whole, it would've been better if someone had written this book with a more objective viewpoint, though the only reason this book exists as it is is because if how intimately familiar she was with these cases.
Also adding clutter is the incessant repition of facts. It made for a laborious read, however did add the purpose of reaffirming the point,, making sure the reader really comprehended it.
Overall it was a good book, but the laborious nature of the text and some of the irrelevant comments that sounded like they came from a poor loser made me dock a star I otherwise would've given.
December 16, 2018
I really like legal thrillers. With fiction authors like Grisham, Rosenfelt, and Martini, the good guys win and the bad guys lose. With the non-fiction author Sidney Powell, the good guys lose and the bad guys get promoted into the Obama administration. Powell chronicles the real trials of the Enron task force and the corruption case of Alaskan Senator Stevens which take place about the same time. She writes well and her book is just as intense as any fiction legal thriller. The prosecutors in these two efforts have no integrity. They lie, unlawfully withhold evidence, and are totally unethical. 85,000 innocent people lost their jobs on one conviction that was overturned 9-0 by the Supreme Court. Other convictions put innocent men in prison, crushed them financially, and destroyed families. The convictions were later overturned by an appellate court because of the prosecutorial unlawful actions. The innocent lost big and the despicable Federal Prosecutors were awarded and promoted into top positions in our Justice Department and FBI. Two of them are currently working on the despicable Mueller Team going after our President. The spineless Federal Judges let these despicable prosecutors get away with real constitutional crimes that truly hurt thousands of innocents. The takeaway: don't get caught in a Federal Court. There is no justice with cowardly judges and despicable, unethical prosecutors. I hope I said despicable enough times.
August 4, 2018
I was recommended this book as being relevant to my interests. I was really disappointed. This is a really terribly executed book. The author might have a point about prosecutorial overreach except they are so narrowly focused on outrage on behalf of their white collar client that it's about 400 pages of forest to a generous 70 pages of trees. With an editor and a co-author to strip the editorializing and unsupported assertions (witnesses "lying"), provide context this might have been a decent book. The focus is also incredibly narrow, looking mainly at an Enron case the author was personally involved in, and at the (much more interesting material sadly not given the treatment it deserves) Ted Stevens corruption saga, contrary to the way the book is sold. I had assumed this would at least touch on drug, organized crime and espionage prosecutions but it did not. Finally there felt like a level of personal emnity against DOJ prosecutors involved in Powell's client's case that resulted in softball treatment for errors and improper interpretations of the law by judges. I would definitely be interested in reading a book about prosecutorial overreach at a federal level but this isn't it.
October 28, 2015
Sidney Powell, a former assistant US attorney, now gone over to the defense side, exposes, through her participation as appellate counsel in the Enron/Merril Lynch and knowledge of the Ted Stevens case, the corruption of Federal Prosecutors. With the complicity of willing judges, these attorneys (in both the Bush and Obama justice departments) have forgotten that they are supposed to be seeking justice and instead have become intimidating bullies, making up nonexistent crimes by misuse of statutes, and knowingly withholding exculpatory evidence from the defense,only to be rewarded with better and better jobs.
Ms. Powell seems surprised that this occurs and displays considerable anger and disappointment. If she had written this with the aid of a ghost writer, it might have been quite good. Despite the "I said...he said...the judge said..." writing style, it is worthwhile if only because it sheds light on the danger of overzealous prosecutors.
Ms. Powell seems surprised that this occurs and displays considerable anger and disappointment. If she had written this with the aid of a ghost writer, it might have been quite good. Despite the "I said...he said...the judge said..." writing style, it is worthwhile if only because it sheds light on the danger of overzealous prosecutors.
July 28, 2018
Fascinating book, and every bit as frightening!
This book helps clarify what’s going on right now in the FBI/DOJ. Mueller witch hunt investigation into what’s being described as Russian meddling in the 2016 elections is written throughout these pages. It is very obvious that many of the Enron tricks still reside in the front pockets of Mueller “investigators” and DOJ Lawyers. The book reads like a novel rather than the non-fiction that it is. It’s simply far too scary that we know it’s factual! The damage to our country brought about by Barack Obama and his minions will continue to haunt our justice system for years to come!
This book helps clarify what’s going on right now in the FBI/DOJ. Mueller witch hunt investigation into what’s being described as Russian meddling in the 2016 elections is written throughout these pages. It is very obvious that many of the Enron tricks still reside in the front pockets of Mueller “investigators” and DOJ Lawyers. The book reads like a novel rather than the non-fiction that it is. It’s simply far too scary that we know it’s factual! The damage to our country brought about by Barack Obama and his minions will continue to haunt our justice system for years to come!
July 25, 2020
Prosecutorial misconduct is detailed in this book and unfortunately occurs more often than not. ‘What happened to the defendants in this book can happen to anyone....’ is not only exasperating but scary to see it played out in real life so often. This book made me angry much like the book ‘The Sun Does Shine’. Which is another example of prosecutorial abuse. Sidney Powell in great detail reveals how the Department of Justice has proved to be a political tool for those wanting to advance their careers at the expense of innocent citizens.
January 8, 2018
This is a must read
This shows the corruption in our system of laws. What happened here did not happen overnight. It must of been happening for years. Now this same system is going after President Trump. It fixed it so Hillary would not be investigated or charged. And know it is trying to over throw a election.
This shows the corruption in our system of laws. What happened here did not happen overnight. It must of been happening for years. Now this same system is going after President Trump. It fixed it so Hillary would not be investigated or charged. And know it is trying to over throw a election.
October 27, 2017
Great book
Great read scary power these prosecutors have and no liability when they lie or withhold evidence from the defense
They should be held to account and have there immunity taken away and be responsible for all the damage they cause
Great read scary power these prosecutors have and no liability when they lie or withhold evidence from the defense
They should be held to account and have there immunity taken away and be responsible for all the damage they cause
December 24, 2017
Amazing book telling the corruption by prosecutors hiding exculpatory evidence at trials. Reads like a novel
July 4, 2018
Prosecution or persecution?
Revealing look at the damage the Justice Department has done to our republic by strong-arm legal tactics designed to win court cases at all costs.
Revealing look at the damage the Justice Department has done to our republic by strong-arm legal tactics designed to win court cases at all costs.
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March 21, 2019Good one.
June 25, 2020
I could not put this book down. Regardless what side of the aisle you side with I would strongly suggest reading this book. Very unnerving.
June 27, 2020
This book both fascinated and horrified me. I’m not usually into the details of the legal system, but the way that Sydney Powell lays out the massive corruption in the US Prosecutors Office kept me reading. It was one of the few books that I couldn’t put down until I had finished. Only read this book if you are willing to have your faith in the legal system completely demolished.
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