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Holding the Line: Inside the Nation's Preeminent US Attorney's Office and Its Battle with the Trump Justice Department
“Throughout my tenure as US attorney, Trump’s Justice Department kept demanding that I use my office to aid them politically, and I kept declining – in ways just tactful enough to keep me from being fired. I walked this tightrope for two and a half years. Eventually, the rope snapped.” – from Holding the Line
“A cautionary tale about how political forces can undermine the quest for justice.” – Barbara McQuade, The Washington Post
The gripping and explosive memoir of serving as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, in the face of the Justice Department’s attempts to protect Trump’s friends and punish his enemies.
Ascending to the leadership role of US Attorney for the Southern District, which includes Manhattan and several counties to the north, is a capstone to any legal career: it entails guiding a team of the best lawyers in America in selecting and winning cases that often have global import. Geoffrey Berman was honored to be tapped for the job by Donald Trump in 2018. The manner in which Trump had dispatched his predecessor Preet Bharara was troubling, but the institution was fabled for its independence. Surely he could manage.
So began one of the most tumultuous two-and-a-half-year stretches in the over two-hundred-thirty year history of the office. Almost immediately, Berman found himself pushing back against the Trump Justice Department’s blatant efforts to bring weak cases against political foes and squash worthy cases that threatened to tarnish allies and Trump himself. When Bill Barr became attorney general, Berman hoped and believed things would get better, but instead they got much worse. The heart of Holding the Line is his never-before-told account of the lengths Barr went to in corrupting the independence of the office, and the lengths Berman had to go in preserving it. Finally, Trump and Barr, fed up with Berman’s principles, summarily fired him, though he refused to go quietly and prevented Barr from installing someone who might be more compliant. Berman’s determined defense of the values of prosecutorial independence, without fear or favor, made him a hero to everyone who shares those values.
Holding the Line also relates the remarkable casework of the Southern District in Berman’s time there, including taking down notorious sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Lawrence Ray, Big Pharma executives, and vicious criminal syndicates, and repatriating Nazi-looted art. Riveting in themselves, these stories showcase the esprit de corps that makes the Southern District so special, and the stakes Berman felt in protecting its integrity against all foes, up to and including the US attorney general and the president of the United States.
(Penguin Random House)
“A cautionary tale about how political forces can undermine the quest for justice.” – Barbara McQuade, The Washington Post
The gripping and explosive memoir of serving as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, in the face of the Justice Department’s attempts to protect Trump’s friends and punish his enemies.
Ascending to the leadership role of US Attorney for the Southern District, which includes Manhattan and several counties to the north, is a capstone to any legal career: it entails guiding a team of the best lawyers in America in selecting and winning cases that often have global import. Geoffrey Berman was honored to be tapped for the job by Donald Trump in 2018. The manner in which Trump had dispatched his predecessor Preet Bharara was troubling, but the institution was fabled for its independence. Surely he could manage.
So began one of the most tumultuous two-and-a-half-year stretches in the over two-hundred-thirty year history of the office. Almost immediately, Berman found himself pushing back against the Trump Justice Department’s blatant efforts to bring weak cases against political foes and squash worthy cases that threatened to tarnish allies and Trump himself. When Bill Barr became attorney general, Berman hoped and believed things would get better, but instead they got much worse. The heart of Holding the Line is his never-before-told account of the lengths Barr went to in corrupting the independence of the office, and the lengths Berman had to go in preserving it. Finally, Trump and Barr, fed up with Berman’s principles, summarily fired him, though he refused to go quietly and prevented Barr from installing someone who might be more compliant. Berman’s determined defense of the values of prosecutorial independence, without fear or favor, made him a hero to everyone who shares those values.
Holding the Line also relates the remarkable casework of the Southern District in Berman’s time there, including taking down notorious sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Lawrence Ray, Big Pharma executives, and vicious criminal syndicates, and repatriating Nazi-looted art. Riveting in themselves, these stories showcase the esprit de corps that makes the Southern District so special, and the stakes Berman felt in protecting its integrity against all foes, up to and including the US attorney general and the president of the United States.
(Penguin Random House)
352 pages, Hardcover
Published September 13, 2022
597 people are currently reading
878 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
Want to read
September 10, 2022I'm looking forward to reading Geoffrey Berman's book. Its legal focus to the Trump goings-on is unique. It blows the lid off of Barr's utter politicization of the DOJ. It shows the true level of dystopian nightmare we so narrowly avoided: contrived prosecutions of one's enemies.
November 7, 2022
Berman's interactions with Main Justice aren't enough to fill a book but the material he does share is deeply troubling. In Berman's tenure as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York the U.S. Attorney General went from Jess Sessions to Matthew Whitaker to Bill Barr. Sessions didn't come across as a bad guy, Whitaker came across as a meathead and Barr was a meddling scumbag. Berman's accounts of events were very convincing. Towards the end of the book Berman sums up his experiences this way:
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 3922
"It was remarkable how many times Barr intervened in the Southern District, over the course of less than a year and a half, in ways that would benefit or please Trump. He shut down the Cohen investigation and tried to impose Donoghue in Brooklyn to take it out of our hands. He shopped the Kerry probe to Maryland. On Ukraine-related matters, he set up a system to keep information away from us and keep those matters from spiraling in new directions. In the Trump v. Vance case, he turned the DOJ into the president’s personal lawyer. He sought inappropriate and unprecedented non-prosecution agreements in Halkbank.
"Outside the Southern District, Barr forced out Jessie Liu; submitted filings to help Trump’s friends Roger Stone and Michael Flynn; and misrepresented the Mueller report to the public. He appointed John Durham to conduct a criminal probe into alleged FBI misconduct in its Trump-Russia investigation. Barr later admitted that a purpose of the probe was to “get the story out.” Finally, he disgraced his position and himself by standing shoulder to shoulder with Trump at the grotesque Lafayette Square stunt."
All of these stories are depicted in detail in the earlier chapters.
Fortunately Berman tells of other cases unrelated to his interactions with Main Justice that were prosecuted in the Southern District during his tenure. These are in Part Three (Priorities) and include chapters on notorious sex traffickers Lawrence Ray, Peter Nygard and Jeffrey Epstein; pharmaceutical executives; American terrorist Cesar Sayoc; attorney Michael Avenatti; and others. These chapters celebrate the excellent work of the prosecutors and investigators and are a nice reprieve from the ugly stories of Bill Barr. Berman's affection for the office and his staff is obvious and seems very genuine. To truly know the Southern District is to love it.
Beyond the actual cases themselves Berman provides insight into the general sources and methods used to initiate and pursue investigations. This book is appropriate for general audiences as Berman deftly explains potentially complicated issues in understandable ways free of legalese and technical jargon. The chapters are short and flow nicely.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 3922
"It was remarkable how many times Barr intervened in the Southern District, over the course of less than a year and a half, in ways that would benefit or please Trump. He shut down the Cohen investigation and tried to impose Donoghue in Brooklyn to take it out of our hands. He shopped the Kerry probe to Maryland. On Ukraine-related matters, he set up a system to keep information away from us and keep those matters from spiraling in new directions. In the Trump v. Vance case, he turned the DOJ into the president’s personal lawyer. He sought inappropriate and unprecedented non-prosecution agreements in Halkbank.
"Outside the Southern District, Barr forced out Jessie Liu; submitted filings to help Trump’s friends Roger Stone and Michael Flynn; and misrepresented the Mueller report to the public. He appointed John Durham to conduct a criminal probe into alleged FBI misconduct in its Trump-Russia investigation. Barr later admitted that a purpose of the probe was to “get the story out.” Finally, he disgraced his position and himself by standing shoulder to shoulder with Trump at the grotesque Lafayette Square stunt."
All of these stories are depicted in detail in the earlier chapters.
Fortunately Berman tells of other cases unrelated to his interactions with Main Justice that were prosecuted in the Southern District during his tenure. These are in Part Three (Priorities) and include chapters on notorious sex traffickers Lawrence Ray, Peter Nygard and Jeffrey Epstein; pharmaceutical executives; American terrorist Cesar Sayoc; attorney Michael Avenatti; and others. These chapters celebrate the excellent work of the prosecutors and investigators and are a nice reprieve from the ugly stories of Bill Barr. Berman's affection for the office and his staff is obvious and seems very genuine. To truly know the Southern District is to love it.
Beyond the actual cases themselves Berman provides insight into the general sources and methods used to initiate and pursue investigations. This book is appropriate for general audiences as Berman deftly explains potentially complicated issues in understandable ways free of legalese and technical jargon. The chapters are short and flow nicely.
September 17, 2022
Geoffrey Berman is a well-respected attorney who was named successor to Preet Bharara as United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, a jurisdiction also known as the Sovereign District for its fierce independence. Berman calls himself a Rockefeller Republican, and if you know what that is, you are either as old as I am or pretty well-informed. He felt obliged to explain how he came to take a job working for Trump, and like many of Trump's hires, he made the case that he was better than anybody else Trump might choose. He was aware that he had to win over his assistant US attorneys, and was upset when one of his first decisions went against their virtually unanimous advice. He turned out to be right, and that and his open, collaborative style won his employees over in no time.
The cases Berman worked on were major and the pressure from Washington was unrelenting. Berman names the names of people with whom he interacted face to face, but did not speculate as to who was the prime mover behind the scenes. After Sessions was fired, Barr became an even more persistent presence, trying to direct and dictate to the SDNY the cases they would investigate and the ones they would not, to insert more favorable lawyers or officers over Geoff Berman, and eventually, to replace him.
Berman is personable, and his approach was to avoid whatever conflict he could and let the thing play out until he had to make a stand. Then he made his stand, and was most often successful in backing Barr off. Critics say we should have known all the back story at the time, but I think Berman is correct in saying that he couldn't talk about all that and remain a US Attorney. He did a creditable job in his own defense, and I tend to accept that he took a reasonable course. Absent other evidence. Regardless, it was a good look at how it all worked.
The cases Berman worked on were major and the pressure from Washington was unrelenting. Berman names the names of people with whom he interacted face to face, but did not speculate as to who was the prime mover behind the scenes. After Sessions was fired, Barr became an even more persistent presence, trying to direct and dictate to the SDNY the cases they would investigate and the ones they would not, to insert more favorable lawyers or officers over Geoff Berman, and eventually, to replace him.
Berman is personable, and his approach was to avoid whatever conflict he could and let the thing play out until he had to make a stand. Then he made his stand, and was most often successful in backing Barr off. Critics say we should have known all the back story at the time, but I think Berman is correct in saying that he couldn't talk about all that and remain a US Attorney. He did a creditable job in his own defense, and I tend to accept that he took a reasonable course. Absent other evidence. Regardless, it was a good look at how it all worked.
February 3, 2023
I was skeptical going into this book. It certainly takes a different tone than Preet Bharara’s, but I’d argue it’s no less authentic. Berman detailed some of the most interesting cases he faced during his time as US attorney for the Southern District of New York. There were a couple moments where it dragged in the middle, but the end fully made up for it. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to be in AUSA.
September 24, 2022
must reading for concerned citizens
I often feel buying “political “books is a waste of money because by the time I get them all the good stuff has already been spilled on tv. Not this one! Page after page is filled with shocking details and never before revealed facts. Even cases that were widely discussed in the news are opened up in hither-to unknown fascination. Well worth the read, no wonder the DOJ is interested in following up on some of the author’s leads!
I often feel buying “political “books is a waste of money because by the time I get them all the good stuff has already been spilled on tv. Not this one! Page after page is filled with shocking details and never before revealed facts. Even cases that were widely discussed in the news are opened up in hither-to unknown fascination. Well worth the read, no wonder the DOJ is interested in following up on some of the author’s leads!
September 27, 2022
This book is much more "Inside the Nation's Preeminent US Attorney's Office" than it is about "Its Battle with the Trump Justice Department." Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just know that there is far more pontificating about how Mr Berman was the one thing standing between the Rule of Law & its utter destruction, than about his proclaimed battles.
September 23, 2022
Honesty and Integrity
I came to this book knowing very little about the Southern District of New York or about our Department of Justice. Reading Mr. Berman's book not only broadens my knowledge of these critical parts of our government but also reassures me that public servants have our backs. With the most recent revelations regarding Trump and Barr, Mr. Berman's experiences as revealed in this book reinforce our need for forever vigilance in the defense of the rule of law and our democracy. I encourage everyone to read this book particularly those who are still supporting the MAGA movement!
I came to this book knowing very little about the Southern District of New York or about our Department of Justice. Reading Mr. Berman's book not only broadens my knowledge of these critical parts of our government but also reassures me that public servants have our backs. With the most recent revelations regarding Trump and Barr, Mr. Berman's experiences as revealed in this book reinforce our need for forever vigilance in the defense of the rule of law and our democracy. I encourage everyone to read this book particularly those who are still supporting the MAGA movement!
September 23, 2022
The battle with the Trump Justice Department did not make up most of the book as you might have expected. A large part of the book deals with SDNY's success in bringing a number of people to justice.
Most of the "meat" was already discussed in interviews.
Most of the "meat" was already discussed in interviews.
January 17, 2023
I went into this one expecting more about the battle with Trump's justice department but that's not the "meat" of this book, it is mostly about Mr. Berman and the major cases prosecuted while he was US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, that was interesting enough but overall a disappointing read.
Read
September 11, 2022this book is one of the best reads
May 14, 2023
There's some important information here but it's surrounded by back slapping, testimonials to values law enforcement regularly fails to practice, and other strains of copaganda. From the Epstein and pharmaceutical victories he justifiably celebrates to the politicization and corruption of Barr, Acosta, and others, nearly the entire book involves some level of law enforcement failures and abuses. But Berman still frames the Trump Administration as an anomolous threat to otherwise honorable institutions.
September 22, 2022
Thank you!
While I did not then, nor do I still, understand the working of the legal system, it is wonderfully refreshing to find people who defend the people and don't give in to bullies and threats. Thank you Geoff for making me glad to be an American.
And, thank you Rachel Maddow for recommending this book.
While I did not then, nor do I still, understand the working of the legal system, it is wonderfully refreshing to find people who defend the people and don't give in to bullies and threats. Thank you Geoff for making me glad to be an American.
And, thank you Rachel Maddow for recommending this book.
November 20, 2022
I would have given this book four stars if not for the author. It was an informative and thorough look at the cases that SDNY prosecuted during Berman’s tenure. However, I felt the author’s credibility was very diminished due to his support of Trump during his campaign. I definitely question his objectively he has described the events portrayed, given his desire to distance himself from them.
September 23, 2022
I already purchased this volume. It's important because it's written by a Republican attorney who was ordered by the Putin-asset's regime to break the law. He refused. I'll review it when I've finished it.
October 13, 2022
The Southern District Prosecutor Who Got Fired
This is a good book about the Southern District of NY who found out he was fired when friends called him about DOJ Chief William Barr publicly announced he was stepping down. Berman publicly denied he was quitting and held out long enough to make sure his second in command got his job instead of an outsider Barr wanted. The author goes on to discuss how he tried to avoid complying with inappropriate requests that Barr made without being fired until he was eventually fired. Author was involved in such interesting cases as Michael Cohen, Jeffrey Epstein and others. Interesting book.
This is a good book about the Southern District of NY who found out he was fired when friends called him about DOJ Chief William Barr publicly announced he was stepping down. Berman publicly denied he was quitting and held out long enough to make sure his second in command got his job instead of an outsider Barr wanted. The author goes on to discuss how he tried to avoid complying with inappropriate requests that Barr made without being fired until he was eventually fired. Author was involved in such interesting cases as Michael Cohen, Jeffrey Epstein and others. Interesting book.
November 16, 2022
Well written easy to follow account of the peril our country was in during the Trump administration when the line between politics and law was blurred.
The facts are terrifying. I applaud the courage of Mr. Berman and the others in the Department of Justice who did their jobs and resisted political interference from the highest levels by political appointees who never should have served at the lowest levels of government, let alone the highest.
His suggestions for improving and securing our democracy are sensible and should be instituted.
A very eye-opening read.
The facts are terrifying. I applaud the courage of Mr. Berman and the others in the Department of Justice who did their jobs and resisted political interference from the highest levels by political appointees who never should have served at the lowest levels of government, let alone the highest.
His suggestions for improving and securing our democracy are sensible and should be instituted.
A very eye-opening read.
November 24, 2022
4 to 4.5 stars. "Holding the Line: Inside the Nation's Preeminent US Attorney's Office and Its Battle with the Trump Justice Department" by Geoffrey Berman deserves its high rating on Goodreads. This book, by a highly respected former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is one more of the many, many testimonies why Donald Trump or someone like him should never be in power again in the U.S. Although I must confess I've overdosed on books about Trump and his disastrous four year administration, this book is a very worthwhile read. It not only documents the attempted political interference by Trump's political appointees in the Justice Department (including William Barr), it also provides a window into the critical work the 93 U.S. Attorneys do to protect American citizens. That work must be carried on in an impartial and ethical manner in order to retain the nation's crucial support. Highly recommended!
September 20, 2023
This book was a mostly linear memoir of the author's time as the DA of SDNY. I found it engaging as well as horrifying, showing the lengths the DOJ was attempting travel to act as the President's personal lawyer.
December 17, 2022
Very readable! Fascinating.
September 19, 2022
Like many, I’ve developed a healthy cynicism about our criminal justice system, but reading Holding the Line makes me grateful for those who did not waver when Trump’s hatchet man Bill Barr tried to use main justice against the SDNY to do Trump’s budging g. Know that while the book tells us the ways Trump interfered, it also offers a glimpse into other ways states attorneys work to protect young people against sex traffickers and ways justice can still be delivered against thriving Nazis who stole art during the third reich. I especially like the reforms offered in chapter 23.
September 21, 2022
I was entirely ignorant of the importance of the Southern District (SDNY)
All these shenanigans between SDNY and the DOJ. I learned a lot about the checks and balances keeping the USA internally stable, in the face of the inevitable dynamic tension between politics and the law. Thank goodness for people like the author of this fascinating book. Kevin Thomas Morgan
All these shenanigans between SDNY and the DOJ. I learned a lot about the checks and balances keeping the USA internally stable, in the face of the inevitable dynamic tension between politics and the law. Thank goodness for people like the author of this fascinating book. Kevin Thomas Morgan
September 19, 2022
Bill Barr will be looked down upon in the history books. I just wish I could be there to share just how bad he was at his job. To do the bidding of the president and not to the people of the US is treasonous. And to watch him now on the cable news shows to try to redeem his reputation is laughable. And a bit too late. We see you, Bill Barr. You might not be held accountable now, but you will be when you meet that maker of yours. Cross your fingers...
September 20, 2022
Congratulations to Berman for Holding the Line against Trump and Barr.
Geoffrey Berman, who voted for Trump,soon found out after taking the job of running NYC’s Southern District that he had a most difficult job keeping politics out of courtroom. President Trump’s goal was to protect his friends and destroy his enemies. Barr was Trump’s right hand man in seeing this happened.
Geoffrey Berman, who voted for Trump,soon found out after taking the job of running NYC’s Southern District that he had a most difficult job keeping politics out of courtroom. President Trump’s goal was to protect his friends and destroy his enemies. Barr was Trump’s right hand man in seeing this happened.
September 22, 2022
Just confirms what most of us knew. Barr was working for Trump not the people. He made it Trumps private law firm. If you weren’t on board you were out the door
September 19, 2022
This book shared a deeper history of some of the cases in which the SDNY was involved. I was familiar with most of them but liked the story behind each one. It was sad to read how those in the higher echelon government positions abuse their power for political gain or to secure favor with an even higher powered person.
September 20, 2022
About what you would expect from the title. A lot of it was presented impersonally. It does seem like the only thing preventing more direct control by the executive branch is public opinion.
September 20, 2022
Very well written. A quick read full of insight and candor.
August 19, 2024
As someone who loves reality TV the drama in the US government is sometimes is just better and more toxic lol
September 16, 2022
Justice without fear or favor
After watching Geoffrey Berman in several interviews, I became intrigued enough to purchase this book. It chronicles the work at SDNY and the repeated political interference experienced. The scales of justice are supposed to be even handed, treating all without fear or favor. But it's noe obvious that justice can be corrupted by political interference. I sincerely hope that Congress looks into this further.
After watching Geoffrey Berman in several interviews, I became intrigued enough to purchase this book. It chronicles the work at SDNY and the repeated political interference experienced. The scales of justice are supposed to be even handed, treating all without fear or favor. But it's noe obvious that justice can be corrupted by political interference. I sincerely hope that Congress looks into this further.
September 18, 2022
Fighting corruption at the highest level
An eye opener of immense proportion. Very well written and never boring it describes blow by blow the shenanigans DOJ put on the SDNY attorneys during the Trump administration. Shameful!
An eye opener of immense proportion. Very well written and never boring it describes blow by blow the shenanigans DOJ put on the SDNY attorneys during the Trump administration. Shameful!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews