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Code of Silence: Sexual Misconduct by Federal Judges, the Secret System That Protects Them, and the Women Who Blew the Whistle
In the age of #MeToo, learn how brave whistleblowers have dared to lift the federal court’s veil of secrecy to expose powerful judges who appear to defy laws they have sworn to uphold.
Code of Silence tells the story of federal court employee Cathy McBroom, who had to flee her job as a case manager in Galveston, Texas, after enduring years of sexual harassment and assault by her boss—US District Judge Samuel Kent. Following a decade of firsthand reporting at the Houston Chronicle, investigative reporter Lise Olsen charts McBroom’s assault and the aftermath, when McBroom was thrust into the role of whistleblower to denounce a federal judge.
What Olsen discovered by investigating McBroom’s story and other federal judicial misconduct matters nationwide was shocking. With the help of other federal judges, Kent was being protected by a secretive court system that has long tolerated or ignored complaints about corruption, sexism, and sexual misconduct—enabling him to remain in office for years. Other powerful judges accused of judicial misconduct were never investigated and remain in power or retired with full pay, such as US Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski and Kozinski’s mentee, Brett Kavanaugh.
McBroom’s ultimate triumph is a rare story of redemption and victory as Judge Kent became the first and only federal judge to be impeached for sexual misconduct. Olsen also weaves in narratives of other brave women across the country who, at great personal risk, have reported federal judges to reveal how sexual harassment and assault occur elsewhere inside the federal court system. The accounts of the women and their allies who are still fighting for reforms are moving, intimate, and inspiring—including whistleblowers and law professors like Leah Litman, Emily Murphy, and novelist Heidi Bond, who emerged to denounce Kozinski in 2017. A larger group of women—and men—banded together to form a group called Law Clerks for Accountability, which is continuing to push for more reforms to the courts’ secretive complaint review system.
Code of Silence also reveals the role the press plays in holding systems of power in check. Kent would not have been charged had it not been for Olsen’s reporting and the Houston Chronicle’s commitment to the story.
Code of Silence tells the story of federal court employee Cathy McBroom, who had to flee her job as a case manager in Galveston, Texas, after enduring years of sexual harassment and assault by her boss—US District Judge Samuel Kent. Following a decade of firsthand reporting at the Houston Chronicle, investigative reporter Lise Olsen charts McBroom’s assault and the aftermath, when McBroom was thrust into the role of whistleblower to denounce a federal judge.
What Olsen discovered by investigating McBroom’s story and other federal judicial misconduct matters nationwide was shocking. With the help of other federal judges, Kent was being protected by a secretive court system that has long tolerated or ignored complaints about corruption, sexism, and sexual misconduct—enabling him to remain in office for years. Other powerful judges accused of judicial misconduct were never investigated and remain in power or retired with full pay, such as US Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski and Kozinski’s mentee, Brett Kavanaugh.
McBroom’s ultimate triumph is a rare story of redemption and victory as Judge Kent became the first and only federal judge to be impeached for sexual misconduct. Olsen also weaves in narratives of other brave women across the country who, at great personal risk, have reported federal judges to reveal how sexual harassment and assault occur elsewhere inside the federal court system. The accounts of the women and their allies who are still fighting for reforms are moving, intimate, and inspiring—including whistleblowers and law professors like Leah Litman, Emily Murphy, and novelist Heidi Bond, who emerged to denounce Kozinski in 2017. A larger group of women—and men—banded together to form a group called Law Clerks for Accountability, which is continuing to push for more reforms to the courts’ secretive complaint review system.
Code of Silence also reveals the role the press plays in holding systems of power in check. Kent would not have been charged had it not been for Olsen’s reporting and the Houston Chronicle’s commitment to the story.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 26, 2021
19 people are currently reading
1446 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 13, 2022
This one of the best long-form pieces of journalism I’ve probably ever read, and it does an incredible job discussing workplace sexual assault in a way that allows readers to understand just how hard it is for victims to come forward. Especially in our political climate, people are eager to jump to conclusions about women reporting sexual assault—targeting their motives, their timing, and their credibility—without taking into consideration how painful it is for the victim. It was a painful and important read.
June 24, 2023
Every day I learn some fresh new horror about how broken the US is. The writing of this is so good, I learned so much, and it was very fitting that I recently read She Said (an equally great feat of journalism)
July 1, 2024
The writing is excellent and it’s so informative. Should be required reading in law school frankly.
August 10, 2022
Don’t read this book if you are like me, and you don’t want to blow your blood pressure off the charts because you get incredibly angry at the injustices in this world.
Don’t read this book if you are like me and don’t want another reminder of how helpless most of us are in the face of the myriad of injustices plaguing our world.
But DO read this book if you want to learn more about how the judicial system in our country works, and, sadly, how it works in favor of the judges who are appointed at the highest levels and have lifetime protections.
Do read this book if you would like to meet one incredibly brave woman who decided to speak out about the ongoing sexual harassment she, and so many other women, experienced while working for men who believed they could get away with it.
Sadly, too many of them do.
Cathy McBroom was sexually assaulted by U. S. District Judge Samuel Kent in Galveston and was sexually harrassed by him numerous times, as was his long-time secretary Donna Wilkerson. Because of the power that he had to blackball her throughout the system so she could never get another job working for another judge she was warned off. Even when she went to her supervisor to report the incident of near-rape, she was cautioned that very little would happen to Kent but repercussions could be severe for McBroom.
It’s no wonder then that it took so long for Cathy McBroom to finally speak out.
Business, government, the military, the judicial system, and even our society has been controlled by white men in power for so long that women, and people of color, have had to struggle against great odds to break that grip of power. And, sadly, the grip barely has a crack in too many areas where men rule with intimidation, harassment, and outright threats.
This well documented look at the judicial system, and the ways it has dealt with complaints of sexual harassment, or not dealt with it, isn’t an easy read, but it’s an important one. It helps the reader understand how this system of protecting judges has been established and perhaps offers a glimmer of hope that those protections will be taken away sometime in the near future. Code of Silence also celebrates the courage and determination of Cathy McBroom. One woman who decided speaking out was worth the risk of losing her job and never being able to work as a case manager for another judge. Her brave step inspired other women to also take that risk and report their toxic workplaces.
I can’t say that I always enjoyed reading this book. What these women endured, and the way the judges tried to “excuse” the behavior, made me want to scream.
However, I can say that I’m glad Ms. Olsen brought this topic to light. This is a book that everyone needs to read to be aware of what goes on behind “the black robe” and take whatever action they can change the way the judicial system polices itself. Or fails to police itself.
Don’t read this book if you are like me and don’t want another reminder of how helpless most of us are in the face of the myriad of injustices plaguing our world.
But DO read this book if you want to learn more about how the judicial system in our country works, and, sadly, how it works in favor of the judges who are appointed at the highest levels and have lifetime protections.
Do read this book if you would like to meet one incredibly brave woman who decided to speak out about the ongoing sexual harassment she, and so many other women, experienced while working for men who believed they could get away with it.
Sadly, too many of them do.
Cathy McBroom was sexually assaulted by U. S. District Judge Samuel Kent in Galveston and was sexually harrassed by him numerous times, as was his long-time secretary Donna Wilkerson. Because of the power that he had to blackball her throughout the system so she could never get another job working for another judge she was warned off. Even when she went to her supervisor to report the incident of near-rape, she was cautioned that very little would happen to Kent but repercussions could be severe for McBroom.
It’s no wonder then that it took so long for Cathy McBroom to finally speak out.
Business, government, the military, the judicial system, and even our society has been controlled by white men in power for so long that women, and people of color, have had to struggle against great odds to break that grip of power. And, sadly, the grip barely has a crack in too many areas where men rule with intimidation, harassment, and outright threats.
This well documented look at the judicial system, and the ways it has dealt with complaints of sexual harassment, or not dealt with it, isn’t an easy read, but it’s an important one. It helps the reader understand how this system of protecting judges has been established and perhaps offers a glimmer of hope that those protections will be taken away sometime in the near future. Code of Silence also celebrates the courage and determination of Cathy McBroom. One woman who decided speaking out was worth the risk of losing her job and never being able to work as a case manager for another judge. Her brave step inspired other women to also take that risk and report their toxic workplaces.
I can’t say that I always enjoyed reading this book. What these women endured, and the way the judges tried to “excuse” the behavior, made me want to scream.
However, I can say that I’m glad Ms. Olsen brought this topic to light. This is a book that everyone needs to read to be aware of what goes on behind “the black robe” and take whatever action they can change the way the judicial system polices itself. Or fails to police itself.
Read
October 22, 2021A federal judge’s crime and how a former San Antonian touted for the Supreme Court minimized it
by Rick Casey
October 19, 2021
U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent leaves the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse holding the hand of his wife in Houston, Texas, U.S., on Monday, May 11, 2009. Kent was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to obstructing a judicial panel's investigation of charges he sexually assaulted two female employees.
U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent leaves the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse holding the hand of his wife in Houston on Monday, May 11, 2009. Kent was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to obstructing a judicial panel's investigation of charges he sexually assaulted two female employees. Credit: F Carter Smith / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Another “true crime” book is being published later this month. But Code of Silence by Lise Olsen is not like most books — or podcasts — of that popular genre.
For starters, there is no murder. We know who dunnit from the beginning. And it is anything but insensitive toward the victims and their families, a common criticism of many true crime stories.
The culprit this time wasn’t a marginal member of society. U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent was a federal judge, known for both his brilliance and his bllying.
https://sanantonioreport.org/a-federa...
by Rick Casey
October 19, 2021
U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent leaves the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse holding the hand of his wife in Houston, Texas, U.S., on Monday, May 11, 2009. Kent was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to obstructing a judicial panel's investigation of charges he sexually assaulted two female employees.
U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent leaves the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse holding the hand of his wife in Houston on Monday, May 11, 2009. Kent was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to obstructing a judicial panel's investigation of charges he sexually assaulted two female employees. Credit: F Carter Smith / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Another “true crime” book is being published later this month. But Code of Silence by Lise Olsen is not like most books — or podcasts — of that popular genre.
For starters, there is no murder. We know who dunnit from the beginning. And it is anything but insensitive toward the victims and their families, a common criticism of many true crime stories.
The culprit this time wasn’t a marginal member of society. U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent was a federal judge, known for both his brilliance and his bllying.
https://sanantonioreport.org/a-federa...
Read
October 24, 2021You can read my review at Literal Magazine here: https://literalmagazine.com/lise-olsen/
A brief excerpt:
“Lise Olsen’s book, Code of Silence, charts how several powerful federal judges harassed women for years with near virtual immunity, and how even after #MeToo led to a reckoning, the federal courts have still kept in place an obtuse, opaque system for handling sexual harassment and sexual assault complaints
“An investigative reporter with the Houston Chronicle, Olsen first broke the story about the allegations made by court manager Cathy McBroom against Samuel Kent, a federal district court judge for the District of Texas in Galveston. Kent assaulted and harassed McBroom, along with other employees of the federal court, repeatedly. Even when many, including security guards, witnessed McBroom running out of the building in tears, they remained too fearful of Kent to do anything. “[Y]ou were expected to do your job and not comment about what you saw,” McBroom told Olsen.”
A brief excerpt:
“Lise Olsen’s book, Code of Silence, charts how several powerful federal judges harassed women for years with near virtual immunity, and how even after #MeToo led to a reckoning, the federal courts have still kept in place an obtuse, opaque system for handling sexual harassment and sexual assault complaints
“An investigative reporter with the Houston Chronicle, Olsen first broke the story about the allegations made by court manager Cathy McBroom against Samuel Kent, a federal district court judge for the District of Texas in Galveston. Kent assaulted and harassed McBroom, along with other employees of the federal court, repeatedly. Even when many, including security guards, witnessed McBroom running out of the building in tears, they remained too fearful of Kent to do anything. “[Y]ou were expected to do your job and not comment about what you saw,” McBroom told Olsen.”
March 4, 2023
Thanks for the Courage
When I saw Lise's name at the bottom of the catchy title, I couldn't wait to see what this trusted friend of so many of us survivors have come to respect!
I wasn't surprised at the thorough job she did. What did surprise me was that the lack of ethics in the ranks of federal judges seems to even surpass that of so many other good ole' boy systems. How much more important it is for these guys who should set the example of justice for all to be role models than those who head ordinary corporations!
Like clergymen, these fellows are expected to act lime mature adult men. Thanks to the women who courageously provided Olsen with what she needed to expose such injustice, thereby insisting that this nonsense of power shall cease no matter how long the accomplishment takes.
When I saw Lise's name at the bottom of the catchy title, I couldn't wait to see what this trusted friend of so many of us survivors have come to respect!
I wasn't surprised at the thorough job she did. What did surprise me was that the lack of ethics in the ranks of federal judges seems to even surpass that of so many other good ole' boy systems. How much more important it is for these guys who should set the example of justice for all to be role models than those who head ordinary corporations!
Like clergymen, these fellows are expected to act lime mature adult men. Thanks to the women who courageously provided Olsen with what she needed to expose such injustice, thereby insisting that this nonsense of power shall cease no matter how long the accomplishment takes.
October 22, 2021
This book is definitely a 10 star out of five, here is my review in Arabic language.
كتاب قانون الصمت "Code of Silence"
لمؤلفته، الصحفيّة الاستقصائية/ ليز أولسن
By/ Lise Olsen
اسم الكتاب كاملا:
"Code of Silence: Sexual Misconduct by Federal Judges, the Secret System That Protects Them, and the Women Who Blew the Whistle"
أي/
"قانون الصمت: سوء السلوك الجنسي من قبل القضاة الفيدراليين، والنظام السري الذي يحميهم، والنساء اللائي أطلقن الصافرة".
كتاب يتكون من 264 صفحة، سيصدر بتاريخ 26 اكتوبر 2021.
(تمت إتاحة نسخ ألكترونية مجانية من الكتاب لمراجعي الكتب للقراءة ونشر التقييم، وذلك من حسنات منظومة النشر الأمريكية ودعمها لحركة التأليف واعترافاً منها بأهمية تقييمات ومراجعات الكتب).
يتناول الكتاب كيفية تجرأ شجعان (نساء ورجال)، على توثيق بعض الممارسات المشينة التي كانت تتم في مقارٍ للمحكمة الفيدرالية للولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وكشف غطاء السرية عنها لفضح ثُلة من القضاة الأقوياء الذين تجرؤا لسنوات على ممارسة التحرش والابتزاز لموظفات تحت إداراتهم، ضاربين بعرض الحائط بالقوانين التي أقسموا على دعمها، وتم تعيينهم لحمايتها!
القصة الأساسية لكتاب "قانون الصمت"، حكاية موظفة المحكمة الفيدرالية/ كاثي ماكبروم، التي اضطرت في عام 2007، إلى "الفرار" من وظيفتها الإدارية في محكمة/ جالفستون بولاية تكساس، بعد تحمل سنوات من التحرش الجنسي والاعتداء من قبل رئيسها - قاضي تلك المقاطعة الأمريكية/ صموئيل كينت.
بعد عقد كامل من التقارير الصحفية الاستقصائية المباشرة التي نشرتها المؤلفة في صحيفة/ هيوستن كرونيكل،
"Houston Chronicle"
وهي أكبر صحيفة يومية في مدينة هيوستن، بولاية تكساس، الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية. والتي تعد منذ عدة سنوات، ثالث أكبر صحيفة من حيث توزيعها يوم الأحد في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، بعد صحيفتي نيويورك تايمز ولوس أنجلوس تايمز؛
قامت مؤلفة الكتاب، المراسلة الصحفية الاستقصائية/ ليز أولسن، بإعداد مخطط أطلقت عليه إسم/"هجوم ماكبروم"، وما تلاه، إلى أن تم القبول بشهادة السيدة التي تعرضت للتحرش (كاثي ماكبروم)، للقيام رسمياً بدور المبلّغ عن المخالفات التي أدت لإدانة القاضي الفيدرالي الذي تحرش بها.
McBroom was thrust into the role of whistleblower to denounce a federal judge.
وقد تم عزل ذلك القاضي بعد إدانته، ولكن ليس بسبب جريمة التحرش الجنسي، وإنما لما ثبت لدى القضاء من أنه كذب عليهم عندما نفى في بداية التحقيق قيامه بتلك الجريمة، ثم أقراره بها بعد تضييق الخناق عليه باستعانة المحكمة بالتقارير التي جمعتها المؤلفة على مدار عقد كامل!؟
وبالرغم من أن تلك الحالة من إعفاء قاضٍ فيدرالي أمريكي من منصبه، كانت الحالة الأولى في الإعفاء بعد حالة سابقة حصلت قبل مائتي عام، وبالرغم من أن انتصار السيدة/ ماكبروم كان نصرا لها، إلا أن ما اكتشفته المؤلفة/ ليز أولسن، من خلال التحقيق في قصة السيدة/ ماكبروم، وفي مسائل سوء السلوك القضائي الفيدرالي الأخرى على الصعيد الوطني بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كان صادماً: أن ذلك القاضي المتحرش، وبمساعدة قضاة فيدراليين آخرين، كان محميّاً من قبل منظومة سرية وممارسات فاسدة في المحكمة الفيدرالية الأمريكية، منظومة تسامحت أو تجاهلت لفترة طويلة الشكاوى المتعلقة بالفساد والتمييز على أساس الجنس وسوء السلوك الجنسي - مما مكّن ذلك القاضي من البقاء في منصبه لسنوات .. كما اتضح للمؤلفة أنه لم يتم التحقيق مطلقاً مع قضاة أقوياء آخرين متهمين بسوء السلوك القضائي، وظلوا في السلطة أو تقاعدوا بأجر كا��ل، مثل قاضي الدائرة الأمريكية/ أليكس كوزينسكي، والمتدربة التي كانت تحت أمرته (بريت كافانو)؛ وذلك على الرغم مما ثبت في حينه من وجود صور ومواد غير لائقة على جهاز الحاسوب الرسمي للقاضي، بل وقيامه بتوزيع ب��ضا من تلك المواد على بعض من زملائه ومرؤوسيه باستخدام الشبكة العنكبوتية المخصصة لخدمة المحكمة.
يتضمن الكتاب أيضاً حكايات مشابهة تعرضت لها نساء أخريات في جميع أنحاء الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وأنهن في خطر شخصي كبير، لأنهن أبلغن عن قضاة فيدراليين للكشف عن كيفية حدوث التحرش والاعتداء الجنسييْن في أماكن أخرى داخل نظام المحاكم الفيدرالية الأمريكية، وأنهن وحلفائهن ما زلن يقاتلن ليس فقط من أجل الانتصار للعدالة ولكن أيضاً من أجل الإصلاحات في منظومة القضاء الفيدرالي الأمريكي؛ حكايات مؤثرة وحميمة وملهمة - بما في ذلك حكايات المبلغين عن المخالفات وأساتذة للقانون معتبرين، مثل/ ليا ليتمان، وإميلي مورفي، وكذلك الروائية هايدي بوند، التي ظهرت في عام 2017، للتنديد بالقاضي الفاسد "كوزينسكي"
هذا وقد أورد الكتاب ماتم من قيام عدد أكبر من النساء والرجال، بتشكيل مجموعة ضاغطة تسمى "كتبة القانون من أجل المساءلة"،
Law Clerks for Accountability,
وذلك بهدف الاستمرار في الضغط سعياً لتحقيق المزيد من الإصلاحات لنظام مراجعة الشكاوى السرية بالمحاكم الأمريكية.
كما يُبرز هذا الكتاب، الدور الذي تلعبه السلطة الرابعة، أي الصحافة، في الحفاظ على سلامة مسار أنظمة الإدارة والحكم.
الملفت للنظر الاسم الذي اختارته المؤلفة لحسابها في شبكة تويتر، وهو ليز الحفّارة، أو المُنَقّبة
@LiseDigger
________________________________________
نبذة عن المؤلفة:-
"ليز أولسن"، هي نائبة محرر التحقيقات الاستقصائية وكبيرة مراسلي التحقيقات الاستقصائية في صحيفة (هيوستن كرونيكل)، بالولايات المتحدةالأمريكية .. تتمتع (أولسن) بخبرة تزيد عن 20 عاماً وتخصصت في المقام الأول في التحقيقات الصحفية الاستقصائية في كلا من الجريمة والفساد وسلامة العمال وحقوق الإنسان.
وقد ساهمت تحقيقات السيدة ليز، في مقاضاة عضو سابق في الكونغرس، وكذلك القاضي الفيدرالي موضوع هذا الكتاب، كما ألهمت تحقيقاتها المشرعين في وطنها لإجراء إصلاحات في منظومة القوانين، وساهم تحقيقاتها الاستقصائية في كشف بعض "القضايا الباردة"، أي تلك التي لم تتوصل الجهات الرسمية إلى خيوط لكشفها، وكذلك بالتذكير بأسماء ضحايا القتل المجهولين والمنسيين، مع إطلاق سراح العشرات من السجناء المحتجزين ظلماً.
كتاب قانون الصمت "Code of Silence"
لمؤلفته، الصحفيّة الاستقصائية/ ليز أولسن
By/ Lise Olsen
اسم الكتاب كاملا:
"Code of Silence: Sexual Misconduct by Federal Judges, the Secret System That Protects Them, and the Women Who Blew the Whistle"
أي/
"قانون الصمت: سوء السلوك الجنسي من قبل القضاة الفيدراليين، والنظام السري الذي يحميهم، والنساء اللائي أطلقن الصافرة".
كتاب يتكون من 264 صفحة، سيصدر بتاريخ 26 اكتوبر 2021.
(تمت إتاحة نسخ ألكترونية مجانية من الكتاب لمراجعي الكتب للقراءة ونشر التقييم، وذلك من حسنات منظومة النشر الأمريكية ودعمها لحركة التأليف واعترافاً منها بأهمية تقييمات ومراجعات الكتب).
يتناول الكتاب كيفية تجرأ شجعان (نساء ورجال)، على توثيق بعض الممارسات المشينة التي كانت تتم في مقارٍ للمحكمة الفيدرالية للولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وكشف غطاء السرية عنها لفضح ثُلة من القضاة الأقوياء الذين تجرؤا لسنوات على ممارسة التحرش والابتزاز لموظفات تحت إداراتهم، ضاربين بعرض الحائط بالقوانين التي أقسموا على دعمها، وتم تعيينهم لحمايتها!
القصة الأساسية لكتاب "قانون الصمت"، حكاية موظفة المحكمة الفيدرالية/ كاثي ماكبروم، التي اضطرت في عام 2007، إلى "الفرار" من وظيفتها الإدارية في محكمة/ جالفستون بولاية تكساس، بعد تحمل سنوات من التحرش الجنسي والاعتداء من قبل رئيسها - قاضي تلك المقاطعة الأمريكية/ صموئيل كينت.
بعد عقد كامل من التقارير الصحفية الاستقصائية المباشرة التي نشرتها المؤلفة في صحيفة/ هيوستن كرونيكل،
"Houston Chronicle"
وهي أكبر صحيفة يومية في مدينة هيوستن، بولاية تكساس، الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية. والتي تعد منذ عدة سنوات، ثالث أكبر صحيفة من حيث توزيعها يوم الأحد في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، بعد صحيفتي نيويورك تايمز ولوس أنجلوس تايمز؛
قامت مؤلفة الكتاب، المراسلة الصحفية الاستقصائية/ ليز أولسن، بإعداد مخطط أطلقت عليه إسم/"هجوم ماكبروم"، وما تلاه، إلى أن تم القبول بشهادة السيدة التي تعرضت للتحرش (كاثي ماكبروم)، للقيام رسمياً بدور المبلّغ عن المخالفات التي أدت لإدانة القاضي الفيدرالي الذي تحرش بها.
McBroom was thrust into the role of whistleblower to denounce a federal judge.
وقد تم عزل ذلك القاضي بعد إدانته، ولكن ليس بسبب جريمة التحرش الجنسي، وإنما لما ثبت لدى القضاء من أنه كذب عليهم عندما نفى في بداية التحقيق قيامه بتلك الجريمة، ثم أقراره بها بعد تضييق الخناق عليه باستعانة المحكمة بالتقارير التي جمعتها المؤلفة على مدار عقد كامل!؟
وبالرغم من أن تلك الحالة من إعفاء قاضٍ فيدرالي أمريكي من منصبه، كانت الحالة الأولى في الإعفاء بعد حالة سابقة حصلت قبل مائتي عام، وبالرغم من أن انتصار السيدة/ ماكبروم كان نصرا لها، إلا أن ما اكتشفته المؤلفة/ ليز أولسن، من خلال التحقيق في قصة السيدة/ ماكبروم، وفي مسائل سوء السلوك القضائي الفيدرالي الأخرى على الصعيد الوطني بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كان صادماً: أن ذلك القاضي المتحرش، وبمساعدة قضاة فيدراليين آخرين، كان محميّاً من قبل منظومة سرية وممارسات فاسدة في المحكمة الفيدرالية الأمريكية، منظومة تسامحت أو تجاهلت لفترة طويلة الشكاوى المتعلقة بالفساد والتمييز على أساس الجنس وسوء السلوك الجنسي - مما مكّن ذلك القاضي من البقاء في منصبه لسنوات .. كما اتضح للمؤلفة أنه لم يتم التحقيق مطلقاً مع قضاة أقوياء آخرين متهمين بسوء السلوك القضائي، وظلوا في السلطة أو تقاعدوا بأجر كا��ل، مثل قاضي الدائرة الأمريكية/ أليكس كوزينسكي، والمتدربة التي كانت تحت أمرته (بريت كافانو)؛ وذلك على الرغم مما ثبت في حينه من وجود صور ومواد غير لائقة على جهاز الحاسوب الرسمي للقاضي، بل وقيامه بتوزيع ب��ضا من تلك المواد على بعض من زملائه ومرؤوسيه باستخدام الشبكة العنكبوتية المخصصة لخدمة المحكمة.
يتضمن الكتاب أيضاً حكايات مشابهة تعرضت لها نساء أخريات في جميع أنحاء الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وأنهن في خطر شخصي كبير، لأنهن أبلغن عن قضاة فيدراليين للكشف عن كيفية حدوث التحرش والاعتداء الجنسييْن في أماكن أخرى داخل نظام المحاكم الفيدرالية الأمريكية، وأنهن وحلفائهن ما زلن يقاتلن ليس فقط من أجل الانتصار للعدالة ولكن أيضاً من أجل الإصلاحات في منظومة القضاء الفيدرالي الأمريكي؛ حكايات مؤثرة وحميمة وملهمة - بما في ذلك حكايات المبلغين عن المخالفات وأساتذة للقانون معتبرين، مثل/ ليا ليتمان، وإميلي مورفي، وكذلك الروائية هايدي بوند، التي ظهرت في عام 2017، للتنديد بالقاضي الفاسد "كوزينسكي"
هذا وقد أورد الكتاب ماتم من قيام عدد أكبر من النساء والرجال، بتشكيل مجموعة ضاغطة تسمى "كتبة القانون من أجل المساءلة"،
Law Clerks for Accountability,
وذلك بهدف الاستمرار في الضغط سعياً لتحقيق المزيد من الإصلاحات لنظام مراجعة الشكاوى السرية بالمحاكم الأمريكية.
كما يُبرز هذا الكتاب، الدور الذي تلعبه السلطة الرابعة، أي الصحافة، في الحفاظ على سلامة مسار أنظمة الإدارة والحكم.
الملفت للنظر الاسم الذي اختارته المؤلفة لحسابها في شبكة تويتر، وهو ليز الحفّارة، أو المُنَقّبة
@LiseDigger
________________________________________
نبذة عن المؤلفة:-
"ليز أولسن"، هي نائبة محرر التحقيقات الاستقصائية وكبيرة مراسلي التحقيقات الاستقصائية في صحيفة (هيوستن كرونيكل)، بالولايات المتحدةالأمريكية .. تتمتع (أولسن) بخبرة تزيد عن 20 عاماً وتخصصت في المقام الأول في التحقيقات الصحفية الاستقصائية في كلا من الجريمة والفساد وسلامة العمال وحقوق الإنسان.
وقد ساهمت تحقيقات السيدة ليز، في مقاضاة عضو سابق في الكونغرس، وكذلك القاضي الفيدرالي موضوع هذا الكتاب، كما ألهمت تحقيقاتها المشرعين في وطنها لإجراء إصلاحات في منظومة القوانين، وساهم تحقيقاتها الاستقصائية في كشف بعض "القضايا الباردة"، أي تلك التي لم تتوصل الجهات الرسمية إلى خيوط لكشفها، وكذلك بالتذكير بأسماء ضحايا القتل المجهولين والمنسيين، مع إطلاق سراح العشرات من السجناء المحتجزين ظلماً.
September 12, 2022
Reviewed for Lone Star Literary Life. Lone Star Blogger Team average rating: 5.0.
November 3, 2021
Federal judges are only human, of course, but given their incredible responsibilities and powers we expect them at a minimum to obey the law and, if not, suffer the consequences.
Sexual assault and attempted rape? Unthinkable.
Think again. U.S. District Court Judge Samuel Bristow Kent committed both offenses repeatedly, plus by my count sexual harassment, witness tampering, abuse of office, perjury, solicitation of financial favors and a bunch other charges that prosecutors might have heaped onto any such suspect . . . had that miscreant not been a federal judge.
Lise Olsen, a talented writer and investigative reporter who worked in Seattle and Houston, unravels Kent’s incredible behavior – and so very much more – in her remarkable book, Code of Silence, hot off the presses and newly available in your local bookstore.
This is an important book. It is also incredibly entertaining – despite the subject matter -- because Olsen has mastered the art of turning a journalism story into a page-turning book. I inhaled it in a few days despite my irritating, time consuming habit of taking notes. Couldn’t put it down. She weaves facts and timelines effortlessly into a relentless narrative. Doesn’t read like journalism. Though dead-on factual, it flows like fiction.
Infuriating, too, because of the abuses it exposes and the lack of appropriate consequences. I’ve spent a lot of time in courtrooms, local, state and federal, and in legal archives pouring over documents. Olsen demonstrated to me -- time and time again -- that I perhaps hadn’t paid enough attention to bad actors. If this book weren’t more sophisticated – and it is – it could be melted down by Hollywood into a revenge flick, gauged by this reader’s growing desire to hang them all. But I have a better movie in mind.
Olsen makes sure that we see the biggest picture. The federal judges I have known have been stellar citizens. Olsen doesn’t pretend otherwise. But the cases she examines are especially troubling because of the lifetime appointments enjoyed by federal judges and the current lack of accountability for the few – among a thousand – who abuse their office, the public and their employees.
Federal judges are not only hired for life under our constitution; they have no supervisors.
Laws passed, because of past abuses, created new oversight functions, but they left the system in control of the judges themselves. Lawyers who know of abuses and crimes are terrified of the judges and not likely to report them, especially to those same judges. Congress can impeach but we know how ineffective that tool has been.
Other added solutions pop up within the book, such as an independent inspector general.
More poignant is the painful story Olsen weaves throughout her narrative of the victims and whistleblowers. Heroes. And regular people forced into horribly uncomfortable circumstances by the egoistic fervor of jurists gone bad. Sobering, all of it.
Sexual assault and attempted rape? Unthinkable.
Think again. U.S. District Court Judge Samuel Bristow Kent committed both offenses repeatedly, plus by my count sexual harassment, witness tampering, abuse of office, perjury, solicitation of financial favors and a bunch other charges that prosecutors might have heaped onto any such suspect . . . had that miscreant not been a federal judge.
Lise Olsen, a talented writer and investigative reporter who worked in Seattle and Houston, unravels Kent’s incredible behavior – and so very much more – in her remarkable book, Code of Silence, hot off the presses and newly available in your local bookstore.
This is an important book. It is also incredibly entertaining – despite the subject matter -- because Olsen has mastered the art of turning a journalism story into a page-turning book. I inhaled it in a few days despite my irritating, time consuming habit of taking notes. Couldn’t put it down. She weaves facts and timelines effortlessly into a relentless narrative. Doesn’t read like journalism. Though dead-on factual, it flows like fiction.
Infuriating, too, because of the abuses it exposes and the lack of appropriate consequences. I’ve spent a lot of time in courtrooms, local, state and federal, and in legal archives pouring over documents. Olsen demonstrated to me -- time and time again -- that I perhaps hadn’t paid enough attention to bad actors. If this book weren’t more sophisticated – and it is – it could be melted down by Hollywood into a revenge flick, gauged by this reader’s growing desire to hang them all. But I have a better movie in mind.
Olsen makes sure that we see the biggest picture. The federal judges I have known have been stellar citizens. Olsen doesn’t pretend otherwise. But the cases she examines are especially troubling because of the lifetime appointments enjoyed by federal judges and the current lack of accountability for the few – among a thousand – who abuse their office, the public and their employees.
Federal judges are not only hired for life under our constitution; they have no supervisors.
Laws passed, because of past abuses, created new oversight functions, but they left the system in control of the judges themselves. Lawyers who know of abuses and crimes are terrified of the judges and not likely to report them, especially to those same judges. Congress can impeach but we know how ineffective that tool has been.
Other added solutions pop up within the book, such as an independent inspector general.
More poignant is the painful story Olsen weaves throughout her narrative of the victims and whistleblowers. Heroes. And regular people forced into horribly uncomfortable circumstances by the egoistic fervor of jurists gone bad. Sobering, all of it.
August 13, 2022
Nonfiction books are supposed to help readers learn about information they have never known before. And in my opinion, at a nonfiction book’s core, it is supposed to be thought-provoking. So engaging that it makes you question while driving down the road at 75 mph how could have this been possible to even have happened? Making you further question is this still happening?
Author Lisa Olsen’s Code of Silence hits these marks fully on in this powerful storytelling.
Code of Silence delves into the tough subject matter of sexual harassment with an added twist of employees under Federal Judges. Olsen takes readers on a journey of how the first US federal judge was impeached over the sexual misconduct of his employees. The background history and ongoing story are presented in a timeline manner that flows quite well into each other. Not only all of this but bits of history are interwoven throughout the book. I did not know that Federal Judges got such hefty retirement salaries.
Lisa’s main character story needed to be told and written. Sadly, I did question after reading this book how many others have been or continue to be subjected to sexual misconduct at the hands of these jurists.
Love that the author followed through to the end with the main character of this book. Knowing that she has some resemblance to normalcy and peace is a heart-warming ending.
Code of Silence is a nonfiction book, written exceptionally well. It is an eye-opening book that comes at a time when women need to be heard the most and at their loudest. Combining that with it being also an immensely thought-provoking book that will make you pay attention to the smallest stories in the news because those stories may someday come to impact us all as women.
Author Lisa Olsen’s Code of Silence hits these marks fully on in this powerful storytelling.
Code of Silence delves into the tough subject matter of sexual harassment with an added twist of employees under Federal Judges. Olsen takes readers on a journey of how the first US federal judge was impeached over the sexual misconduct of his employees. The background history and ongoing story are presented in a timeline manner that flows quite well into each other. Not only all of this but bits of history are interwoven throughout the book. I did not know that Federal Judges got such hefty retirement salaries.
Lisa’s main character story needed to be told and written. Sadly, I did question after reading this book how many others have been or continue to be subjected to sexual misconduct at the hands of these jurists.
Love that the author followed through to the end with the main character of this book. Knowing that she has some resemblance to normalcy and peace is a heart-warming ending.
Code of Silence is a nonfiction book, written exceptionally well. It is an eye-opening book that comes at a time when women need to be heard the most and at their loudest. Combining that with it being also an immensely thought-provoking book that will make you pay attention to the smallest stories in the news because those stories may someday come to impact us all as women.
October 22, 2022
Step into the highly prestigious and powerful world of the Federal judiciary. Specifically into the district court of Judge Samuel Bristow Kent in Galveston, TX where Cathy McBroom served as the judge’s case manager. Not long after she started the judge physically attacked her. Trying to ignore it as a one-off Cathy continued her work while trying to build in a protective distance from Judge Kent. Then came the day he asked her to show him the office weight room. Cathy was seen leaving the building looking disheveled and emotional. She never went back. Kent declared his innocence by describing the encounters as “enthusiastically consensual [and] seemed convinced that he was attractive to women of all ages, and that his compliments, kisses, and propositions were welcome even to employees.”
“Disciplining our colleagues is a delicate and uncomfortable task, not merely because those accused of misconduct are often men and women we know and admire. It is also uncomfortable because we tend to empathize with the accused, whose conduct might not be all that different from what we have done—or been tempted to do—in a moment of weakness or thoughtlessness.”
This is a deep dive report of the court system, judges acting badly, and ultimately a filing of misconduct that was the first of its kind. Code of Silence has similarities to Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow, covering judges rather than Hollywood producers. It reads like a sweeping legal drama/thriller told largely from the victim’s pov. Kudos to Lise Olsen and the Houston Chronicle for digging beyond Cathy McBroom’s complaint to find a deep well of information about Judge Kent’s behaviors. I couldn’t put it down, great investigative journalism.
“Disciplining our colleagues is a delicate and uncomfortable task, not merely because those accused of misconduct are often men and women we know and admire. It is also uncomfortable because we tend to empathize with the accused, whose conduct might not be all that different from what we have done—or been tempted to do—in a moment of weakness or thoughtlessness.”
This is a deep dive report of the court system, judges acting badly, and ultimately a filing of misconduct that was the first of its kind. Code of Silence has similarities to Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow, covering judges rather than Hollywood producers. It reads like a sweeping legal drama/thriller told largely from the victim’s pov. Kudos to Lise Olsen and the Houston Chronicle for digging beyond Cathy McBroom’s complaint to find a deep well of information about Judge Kent’s behaviors. I couldn’t put it down, great investigative journalism.
August 13, 2022
As someone who has been working in the mental health area for about 11 years now, I have sadly heard my fair share of the injustices of the world - which includes that of sexual harassment and abuse of authority. In Lise Olsen's Code of Silence, we learn of Cathy McBroom's experiences as she endured harassment and assault by her boss, the US District Judge Samuel Kent, when McBroom worked as a case manager.
As most survivors of sexual harassment and assault will tell you, the problems do not stop when you come forward. Unfortunately, survivors will continue to experience hardship after hardship after telling their truth. My respect and gratitude toward these individuals, especially women since a disproportionate amount of survivors are women, grows with every story that I read because I know that it is so very difficult to speak the truth knowing that the likelihood of your experience getting easier is very slim.
It is due to reports like that which Olsen has provided us with that make the complete difference when we talk about accountability. Olsen has given us a thorough account of her investigation into McBroom's experiences. This has proven to do few things for me in particular: (1) it has given me background on a story I didn't not know about before reading this book, (2) Olsen has provided this story for me in a way that has made Code of Silence to be quite a page-turner, and (3) it has given a louder voice to survivors.
I recommend this book to all readers, but especially those who enjoy the topic of true crime and social sciences. It is a fantastic piece of work meant to make you think and dig deeper. Bravo.
As most survivors of sexual harassment and assault will tell you, the problems do not stop when you come forward. Unfortunately, survivors will continue to experience hardship after hardship after telling their truth. My respect and gratitude toward these individuals, especially women since a disproportionate amount of survivors are women, grows with every story that I read because I know that it is so very difficult to speak the truth knowing that the likelihood of your experience getting easier is very slim.
It is due to reports like that which Olsen has provided us with that make the complete difference when we talk about accountability. Olsen has given us a thorough account of her investigation into McBroom's experiences. This has proven to do few things for me in particular: (1) it has given me background on a story I didn't not know about before reading this book, (2) Olsen has provided this story for me in a way that has made Code of Silence to be quite a page-turner, and (3) it has given a louder voice to survivors.
I recommend this book to all readers, but especially those who enjoy the topic of true crime and social sciences. It is a fantastic piece of work meant to make you think and dig deeper. Bravo.
July 21, 2025
I was a young lawyer in the early 1980s, and while I never faced the assaults and constant harassment suffered by the women as detailed in this book, I came across plenty of sexism and infrequent sexual harassment from other lawyers and from judges. The dismissal of the horrors that these women went through was real--young people starting in the legal profession today have no idea of how pervasive sexism was, how a woman could lose her job and be blackballed for resisting or speaking out against harassment, and how harassment was so common, so much an acceptable part of U.S. culture, that many men thought it was their prerogative and many women thought it was just what you had to put up with in order to be around men. This book brings back the whole nightmare. Thanks to brave women like Anita Hill and the #MeToo whistleblowers, the problem was brought to widespread attention. But the experience of Christine Blasey Ford in the hearings on Justice Brett Kavanaugh show that the problem is still a big problem, and Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh are on the Supreme Court for life. Good job by Lisa Olsen in bringing all this to light--so much more is needed.
November 19, 2021
Really fantastic book. Olsen’s ten years of work on this illustrates how federal judges with lifetime appointments can get away with just about anything. They report to no one, and the laws against sexual discrimination and assault in the workplace don’t even apply to them! At one point, Congress was also exempt, but they eventually created a law for congressional employees, while continuing to omit the federal judiciary.
If someone is assaulted by their powerful boss who runs his (still mostly “his”) court completely independently, who has absolutel power over one’s job - and often career - where do they go? Can they even speak up after taking an oath of secrecy? Is it worth it?
Olsen describes the few specific cases in which women finally came forward, how difficult it was, and what consequences several powerful men faced.
Well written, very engaging, and eye opening. Wow!
If someone is assaulted by their powerful boss who runs his (still mostly “his”) court completely independently, who has absolutel power over one’s job - and often career - where do they go? Can they even speak up after taking an oath of secrecy? Is it worth it?
Olsen describes the few specific cases in which women finally came forward, how difficult it was, and what consequences several powerful men faced.
Well written, very engaging, and eye opening. Wow!
February 25, 2023
This book really opened my eyes and destroyed my faith in our judicial system as well as our government. Taking years to get noticed only to be endure more ridicule for trying to protect themselves and others is criminal in itself. I can't believe that our country allows this to happen. I am so disappointed. Thank you Lise for your diligent work on this book. I am 70 but that won't stop me from contacting my state representatives and help push for women who have to deal with the demons they work for. How dare they get a free life pass. I'm angry. It's terrible to think we have to live in USA knowing that there are horrible people leading us and too many cowards afraid to face the liars and cheaters who may one day judge someone we love.
October 27, 2021
This is a fascinating tale of how federal judges have for years been shielded from consequences for sexually assaulting and harassing court employees by a secret system of peer-issued justice. In the hands of skilled investigative reporter Lise Olsen, the reader gets a peek behind the curtain at the non-transparency of this system through the eyes of women who have been attacked and demeaned. Olsen shows how even in the handful of egregious cases that have led to a judge’s resignation, the judge often continues to collect a full salary in retirement. Anita Hill herself called this a long overdue expose’, to which I say: Amen.
June 15, 2023
This book powerfully combines investigative reporting with narrative nonfiction, and it shows readers how some federal judges have taken full advantage of their lifetime appointments to sexually abuse women.
The true story follows brave women who fought back against these powerful men, despite a disciplinary system that's heavily weighted in favor of the judges.
It's a story that will leave you outraged - yet hopeful for change - and Olsen's engaging narrative makes clear that far more work is yet to be done.
The true story follows brave women who fought back against these powerful men, despite a disciplinary system that's heavily weighted in favor of the judges.
It's a story that will leave you outraged - yet hopeful for change - and Olsen's engaging narrative makes clear that far more work is yet to be done.
Read
November 27, 2021Excellent book. LISE took a difficult subject with much detail and made it interesting and readable. The level of research is amazing. Thanks to the brave women who stood up and spoke up. Thank you to Lise Olsen for doing her part to expose our broken system. We have a lot of work to do to protect the next generation. Judy Murphy
November 7, 2022
Absolutely infuriating expose of how the judiciary protects its own--its own judges that is, at the expense of other court staff, like secretaries, case managers, and clerks. Unbelievable how difficult it was to hold one sexual predator accountable. Really thorough and readable, if occasionally repetitive (maybe one last edit was in order).
January 30, 2024
This was a very good book shedding light on the injustices within the justice system. As a female beginning to work in the judicial system, this empowered me to continue with my field of study while also knowing that there is still progress to be made. This book is a little dense with information, but none of it is redundant or invaluable.
October 28, 2025
This is amazing how the Legal system and the medical industry was able to get away with treating women ia sex objects for years. Now we know why they say "it's hard for a Woman"out here. Some people talk about the issues in 3rd world countries but right here in the good ol USA, they have been door matting women just for them to get their foot in a position they can elevate. Its a 4 star read!
October 27, 2021
A harrowing tale with a heroic ending, including the central role of journalism, especially the author. Anyone who cares about justice and women's equality should read this.
Also, it's a great dynamic read.
Also, it's a great dynamic read.
November 1, 2021
This important book is a page- turner. I couldn’t put it down. And it’s a great holiday gift book for women lawyers. Lise Olsen- a skilled investigative journalist— has written a terrific book. I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.
November 16, 2021
What an important book. Meticulously reported, with vivid descriptions of Houston, Galveston and the outsized legal personalities in both cities. What Olsen reveals is shocking and shows just how terrifying it is to be an institutional whistleblower -- and how much we owe to those who speak out.
February 1, 2022
Super important message and info, just a tad boring at times. Went into a lot of minute details that I didn’t think needed to be included. It took me a long time to finish.
July 8, 2022
This was an amazing book that everyone needs to read. Women need to be there for one another and not let these men abuse the system or the women.
July 9, 2022
Another must read book about powerful men behaving badly and getting away with it.
November 23, 2023
Very well researched.
February 28, 2022
Hard to read. So many bad things have been allowed to go on for so long.
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