Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away With It

by Elie Honig

An exploration of America’s two-tier justice system, explaining how the rich, the famous, and the powerful— including, most notoriously, Donald Trump—manipulate the legal system to escape justice and get away with vast misdeeds

How does he get away with it? That question, more than any other, vexes observers of, and participants in, the American criminal justice process. How do powerful people weaponize their wealth, political power, and fame to beat the system? And how can prosecutors fight back?

In Untouchable, CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig exposes how the rich and powerful use the system to their benefit, revealing how notorious figures like Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, and Bill Cosby successfully evaded justice for decades. He demonstrates how the Trump children dodged a fraud indictment. He makes clear how countless CEOs and titans of Wall Street have been let off the hook, receiving financial penalties without suffering criminal consequences. This doesn’t happen by accident.

In this vital, incisive book, Honig explains how the system allows the powerful to become untouchable, takes us inside their heads, and offers solutions for making the system fairer and more honest, ensuring true justice for all—holding everyone, no matter their status, accountable for their criminal misdeeds.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Audiobook, Law, Crime, Economics

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 31, 2023

Reviews

[Nick Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rich, the famous and the powerful are good at getting away with crimes. They can afford to hide their crimes, insulate themselves from criminal acts and if they ever get caught they can lawyer up and, if not acquitted, get a cushy sentencing deal.

All of this is grist to Elie Honig's mill as he details how, by virtue of their very positions, the powerful can elude justice. What is remarkable though is not the systemic flaws in the US justice system he narrates (plea deals only being as good as your lawyer can negotiate , for example), but the way in which the people working in the justice system often aren't all that interested in going after the rich and powerful. In the cases of Jeffery Epstein and Harvey Weinstein prosecutors would seemingly rather be doing anything else than pursuing egregious sexual predators. The official who interviewed Bill Cosby was more enamoured by his wearing a "classic Bill Cosby jumper" than a he was about finding out whether he was a serial rapist.

For Honig the apogee of the rich and the powerful committing (and getting away with) crimes is Donald Trump. Trump, in this telling, has more than a passing resemblance to the mob bosses Honig used to prosecute in New York. Trump skates from scandal to scandal over a career which makes him so powerful that but the time he is president it is literally impossible to indite him. Trump institutionalises the art of bribery, witness intimidation and obstruction of justice to such an extent that he can do them on Twitter or via Fox News.

In Trump's case the inefficient federal enforcer is Attorney General Merrick Garland who, rather than being overawed by a Bill Cosby sweater, is overcome by the political implications of taking any action against Trump whatsoever. Despite being passed oven ready cases by the SDNY and the Mueller probe, Garland has sat on his hands meaning that, in all probability, Trump has once again got away with it.

Honig provides a convincing and readable account of how justice systems along with incompetence, corruption and professional reticence on the part of those who enforce the laws means that those who have the most to gain from breaking the law are able to do so with near impunity whilst all the rest of us can do is ask quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[Carol Kearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good comparison of how Trump and his network are similar to the Gambino family that the author had formerly prosecuted when working at the SDNY. It also gave a realistic view of the difficulties in prosecuting a person like Trump. After reading the book I felt resigned that we would probably never see justice done, but as the author states, just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone I know has a vague sense that justice is generally not often served for the rich and powerful. This book ripped off the blindfold as to why. This was incisive, detailed, legal in its organization, and brilliant. It turns out the answer as to why those with influence and money get away with nearly everything is SO MANY REASONS.

- having underlings take the fall for them
- having the privilege of not leaving a paper trail
- not having to say out loud what they want done, in order to maintain plausible deniability
- wearing down their opponents through legal delay, which exponentially increases costs
- jury intimidation
- invoking certain, constitutionally untested, executive privileges to “pardon myself just by thinking about it” (Trump)
- again using the presidential pardon as a carrot for those under him to hold out under oath and not rat him out (Trump)
- using threats of violence to maintain witness silence
- investigative bodies such as the attorney general’s office require a higher body of evidence to prosecute due to the damage a failed case can do on a high profile case. This disqualifies many cases from even being brought to trial
- statute of limitations: when a rich and powerful person sexually harasses dozens of women over the course of 50 years, most are too afraid to speak out. Then the time runs out, and justice cannot be served due to these men having been protected by their social clout until the clock ran out
- Being able, through wealth or connections, to do favors for the ones making the decision to charge and which sentence to bring, to bring about no charge at all, or at least a lighter sentence/prosecution pursued

This is all I could think off two weeks after reading the book, but there are surely more. This was profound and has completely shifted the way I think about justice in America. This is not an intractable problem, however. There are solutions, however hard, to each one of those points. We just need the political will and stamina to fight the good fights. The rule of law is the great equalizer, without it society and the evanescent, tenuous order of civilization is nothing.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Honing gives tremendous insight into how prosecutors work and what it takes to make a conviction stick. He looks at it from the local and national levels.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t what I expected. I usually don’t read reviews before reading a book & I didn’t read any for this one. I was drawn to the book after learning that New England Patriots defensive back Jack Jones had all of his charges dropped related to his taking loaded guns to Logan Airport. From the title one might expect a deep dive into the inequities in our criminal justice system, especially as they relate to the rich & powerful … in this case professional athletes. What it is is a superficial look at the mob and how Donald Trump is like a mob boss.

I have to be honest … I’ve had it with Trump books. I do not need to read anymore (I’ve read quite a bit already) books about Trump. Not because I’m a Trump supporter … completely the opposite. I believe Trump is an angry, insecure manipulative criminal and a bully who has always had things go his way. When things don’t go his way he pretends they are and simply lies. I know this (was I too easy on him?). Just didn’t need to hear it all again, especially in a book masquerading as something it isn’t.

Even though the book is relatively new, the last part of the book, laying out Honig’s case against Trump has lost some of its impact given recent indictments against Mr. Trump.

[Dan Connors · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This is no defeatist eulogy for our justice system. This is, rather, a guide to navigate it. If we understand how bosses exploit systemic vulnerabilities, then we can meaningfully call upon the people who make the big decisions- primarily prosecutors- to fight back and pursue justice, no matter how daunting the challenge." Elie Honig


We all kind of accept that the justice system is rigged in favor of the rich and powerful. Their perch at the top of society immunizes them from accountability most of the time. Crooked bankers behind the 2008 financial crisis for the most part avoided any sort of jail or fines. Sexual predators like Bill Cosby, Jeffrey Epstein, and Harvey Weinstein got away with horrible abuses for decades before any action was taken. And political leaders around the world literally get away with embezzlement, treason and even murder because they sit at the top of the levers of power.


Accountability for illegal acts is one of the few things we have left to enforce some sort of rules of behavior in a civil society. Once the rich and powerful see how easy it is to get away with things, they will continue to push at the boundaries forever. This is how we ended up with Donald Trump and a whole host of ethically challenged leaders in both politics and business. This type of behavior tends to spread down the chain and corrupts everybody, because no one wants to feel like they are the only one following the rules.


The question of how they do it is at the center of this book, Untouchable, by Elie Honig. Mr. Honig is an ex-prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, and he was involved in prosecutions of dozens of Mafia members, including bosses and high-ranking members. He pulls on his Mafia experience to show how those criminals were finally brought to justice, and looks in depth at the case of Donald Trump, who has become famous for avoiding accountability for many of the illegal things done in his name.


Here are some of the things Honig details for both the Mafia and the other examples that he uses:


- Bosses are able to insulate themselves from much of what their organization does. They never put anything in writing, stay away from crime scenes, and make sure to be cryptic about orders they give to allow them deniability. "Do what you have to do" replaces "kill Jimmy the snitch." The best bosses can maintain a hands off approach to finances and more seedy operations, claiming ignorance in the face of criminal investigations.


- When the organization pays the substantial legal fees and supplies lawyers for underlings who are caught by law enforcement, it often guarantees that the underlings won't cooperate with investigators or take plea deals to turn on the bosses.


- Lawyers are notoriously ethically flexible. The enormous sums of money available for defending the rich and powerful not only buy the best, most clever lawyers, but campaign contributions can affect judges and prosecutors as well.


- Jurors and witnesses are vulnerable to intimidation. Some will go along with anything to avoid confrontation or threats to their lives or families.


- Group dynamics can reward silence and loyalty. Those who speak out against injustice are often ostracized, fired, or otherwise punished, creating an atmosphere of fear that keeps everybody in line.


- Celebrities, politicians, and CEO's are treated differently by prosecutors than ordinary people. More proof and more certainty are expected before indicting anybody at the top, and prosecutors are humans just like the rest of us- afraid to lose a high-profile case with enormous stakes that could ruin their career.


- Presidents have the power to pardon crimes, an enormous advantage that can keep underlings loyal and reward those in their circle.


Possibly the most disturbing thing I learned from this book was the 2016 Supreme Court decision letting convicted Virginia governor Bob McDonnell off the hook. The court ruled
(8-0!) that McDonnell couldn't be found guilty of taking bribes for favors because none of the favors he gave were "official acts" of government. This technicality has led to many crooked politicians being let off the hook because their acts weren't explicit enough. It's almost like they had to be caught on tape taking the bribe money and immediately turning around and signing a bill in favor of the briber. Honig roasts the Supreme Court justices, many of whom are now being scrutinized for accepting favors, and points to this one ruling as the most damaging to political ethics ever.


The author devotes much of the book to the cases of Donald Trump, and much of that was familiar stuff that has been out there for years. He lays out nine separate areas of serious criminal activity that he would have gone after Trump for had he been in charge. Becoming president has allowed Trump to claim executive privilege as a shield for much of his activity, while pardoning many of his cronies for doing his bidding. The fact that Trump has skated past accountability is one of the reasons so many like him- his seeming invincibility is inviting to those of us who admire bad boys who buck the system. Trump is a master of the system and has avoided consequences while getting away with behavior that would have buried any other person.


Untouchable was written at the end of 2022, before any of the four indictments that Trump is now facing were filed. So perhaps his winning streak is about to end- but don't count him out. Honig has harsh words for Attorney General Merrick Garland, who he claims has shied away from confrontations with Trump. Any indictments should have been filed in 2021, and now 2023 is too late to affect the 2024 election. If Trump is somehow elected, all bets are off as to if he will ever face justice.


Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Mafia Dons, and even a few politicians eventually faced consequences- prison, humiliation, loss of status, and that can happen again, but only when brave people stand up and speak up. Honig points to whistleblowers, victims, and journalists who were instrumental in bringing down the people mentioned in this book. It's disconcerting to see how fragile our system of justice can be. It's run by people- imperfect, persuadable people- and the rest of us need to be vigilant about holding those people accountable. The very fabric of civilized society depends on it.

[D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would recommend this book

but I am not sure Honig provides a consistent argument. Honig makes compelling arguments for why and how state and federal prosecutors should bring charges against Donald Trump. His assessment of why it's their responsibility and the associated challenges are spot on too. However, I didn't think he was in a position to suggest prosecutors are lax or too timid in doing so considering his time as a prosecutor. He explains the hurdles he faced as a prosecutor for the Southern District of NY and the Attorney General's office of New Jersey. He acknowledges that during his time, wealth and influence would impact who got prosecuted for a crime and who would not. The reader gets the impression he may not have always agreed with that but at the same time, since he did not put up much of a protest in the lack of accountability, as a professional, he essentially co-signed that inaction. That being the case, I thought it was unfair of Honig to suggest the current slate of prosecutors are not doing enough as it pertains to prosecuting Trump for the crimes he has likely committed.

Honig's thesis is sound but his judgment is not. If he had been more critical of his time working for the prosecution offices of NY and NJ, I probably would have rated Untouchable higher but since he didn't, the book comes off a bit hypocritical.

[Matt Jadro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This largely objective and unbiased review of Trump’s time leading up to, and in, office is a must-read for conservatives and liberals alike. Honig spent much of his career as an SDNY and NJ State prosecutor going after the mob and draws many detailed parallels of how Trump’s actions in the highest office mirror those of bosses at the top of the Gambino crime family and others. He spells out exactly what is right and what is not-so-right with our legal system and the most-likely process and outcome for which Trump may or may not face if indicted on the 7 counts laid out in this book (and counts pointed to during his time in office).

For as much trust as we put into our legal system, Honig gives us the reality of today’s state of affairs and how everything works. His own opinions aside, the objectivity of how the presidency is essentially perfectly insulated from the very legal system the position was created to protect will leave you shaking your head the whole way through. 5/5

[Shannon Wold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fascinating and now I understand why Trump has never been indicted for a single thing and very likely will never be. Understanding does not make it less infuriating, though. 😡

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less a general examination of this question but more a recounting of our collective experience of the Trump Administration

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t really pulled into this audiobook in the beginning, but once I got a solid stretch of time to listen it held my interest after all. It explained things about the legal system that favor the wealthy and the powerful - things I knew in general but make even more sense now that we are seeing it in real time in the news every day. It’s all so completely infuriating watching how slow the wheels of justice turn as well as the likelihood that justice will never be served in the case of all Trump’s crimes. Honig’s vast experience prosecuting Mafia leaders gives him valuable perspective on this topic. The last chapter on Merrick Garland’s failures was devastating.

[Rick Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s interesting to hear the first hand experiences about working as a prosecutor against organized crime. There are interesting parallels the author points out around organized crime and Trump.

Decently written. Decently interesting. Missing any sort of deeper reflection other than “prosecutors should be more aggressive.” I think the book ends up, splitting the middle between personal experience and trying to paint a broader picture in a way that didn’t quite work.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

[audiobook] this was my fault. Loved Honig’s podcast (highly recommend!) so I listened to Hatchet Man, which was solid but too much Trump for me. Then immediately listened to this, not realizing it (1) is another hearty serving of Trump and (2) is so repetitive of the stories Honig tells on his podcast and in his first book. I’m sure it’s a fine book on its own, but I couldn’t wait for it to end.

[Tasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty disappointing. I went in expecting much more of a thesis and more dissection of other powerful men who have evaded consequences vs. just Trump. While I learned a few new things, would have appreciated a bit more.

[Tiffany Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rich and powerful get away with things that an ordinary person can't. People like Trump utilize his money, fame, and power, and have a savvy ability to exploit those advantages. The SDNY's case against Trump is a great example, it says much about the US's criminal justice process in which the powerful always get away. Similar to how mobs operate, Trump will pay for the lawyer's fee of his allies, which pressures them to hold back on crucial information that might incriminate him: "Control the lawyers, control the game" (and it's perfectly legal). Rich defendants can pay for more lawyers and overpower a weak prosecutor, in comparison to defendants with public defenders who are often overwhelmed by their caseload and eager to take a quick guilty plea. This unequal treatment can be seen in prosecutors, who usually require more proof before they will bring a charge against a rich individual than a common defendant. This trend in the criminal justice system applies to other high-profile individuals such as Bill Cosby, Jeffery Epstein, Andrew Cuomo, and Harvey Weinstein. In these cases, the extent to which the scales are tilted against racial minorities and women is significant, while facing the 5 years limitation for a prosecutor being able to charge for a sexual assault case. The more astonishing fact is that, while no law says that a sitting president can't be indicted, the DOJ, for decades, voluntarily decided that it won't try to indict a sitting president, as it would interfere with the president's unique official duties. Trump's numerous offenses including obstruction of justice, campaign finance violations, bribery and foreign election aid, and election interference, was never charged federally during his tenure in office. However, the challenge of indicting Trump post-presidency remains significant. No precedent has ever indicted a former president. Given the polarized state of the U.S., the jurors are unlikely to put aside their personal biases and reach a unanimous verdict. Great read to start the 2024 election year.

[Bob Lamberti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A convincing exposition of how a system of justice, conceived by some of the finest political minds our country has ever produced, can be influenced and made subservient to the will of powerful men. What's right and wrong isn't the only thing turning the wheels of justice. The rules of the legal process itself can be used to get an unjust result that allows the guilty to go free. The men in power who can manipulate do so by using resources and tactics available only to those at the top. It is a game that is played not just in the governmental arena but also the corporate world. The author, who has extensive experience prosecuting many key figures from the world of the NY mob, shows how the tactics of the Mafia Don to stay out of prison are being used more and more by corrupt corporate moguls and political leaders. Trump has taken these tactics to new levels. The new beatitudes are sue, countersue, pay hush money, leave no paper trail, surround yourself with unscrupulous men who do your bidding without being asked, always delay, and lie whenever cornered.
When men like this (Trump at the top of the list) are brought into the light to be held accountable, all of those mafia-like behaviors make the prosecutors job that much more difficult
Lastly throw in the ever-present fact that people make mistakes, and the odds of a jail sentence dwindle rapidly.

These days as I find myself asking how it is possible that Trump (and his collection of lying sycophants) are free men when they should be in prison this book gives the best explanation I have seen so far.

[Erin Boras · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't my typical read and I'm not sure what I expected going into the book but it was on sale on Google audiobooks so I dove in.

First of all it was actually super interesting and I think the author explained the criminal justice system, its loopholes and nuances in plain language rather well. I think some points were a bit over done and I personally would have appreciated the book more if it wasn't 85% about Trump but I learned a lot and the examples given were all applicable... Trump has just done it all I guess.

[Katie Marbury · Rating 1 out of 5]

Listen, I’m not condoning anything DJT has done, but this book felt like a whiny smear campaign. I had a lot of hope at different moments that it would actually analyze power, but then it went back to attacking and I felt it lost its authority. Only finished because I try not to dnf books.

[Olena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much Trump-focussed content for me, though I enjoyed the parts about the mob.

[Julie Brough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned sooooo much in this book. It made me appreciate how complex the issue is and how equally complex solutions are. Definitely worth reading!

[Nick Ferraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the subtitle suggests, rich and powerful people DO in fact get away with a lot of things you and I would get 25 to life for. The book largely uses Donald Trump as a case study in how the powerful amongst us sidestep the law when it comes for them, using mechanisms such as juror intimidation, pay to play stalling tactics, and just relying on the system to treat them differently. Written by a former SDNY prosecutor, the book is both informative and entertaining, worth a read if this is your jam

[Pratham Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deviance from my normal reading, but I liked this book overall. At times you could sense a touch of political bias, but I don't think this book advertised itself as an unbiased review of the past couple of years. I found the viewpoint of Honig interesting, since rarely do we get to see what happens "behind the scenes". It was also interesting to see how similar the Trump organization mimics that of a mafia family, where it's incredibly difficult (by design) to press charges on the head honcho. To be honest, it was quite scary to see that power and wealth is a direct issue and our courts/legal system can't really do much about it considering the partisan land-lock we're in right now.

[Nancy Lawing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Elie Honig is a talented writer who held my interest with fast-paced yet elucidating writing about how the justice system does and does not work on all levels: county, state and federal. I had assumed his former base of the Southern District of New York was all "liberal"--not true. Some went on to represent Donald Trump, who is, of course, one focus of this book. But there is so much more here: mobsters, Bill Cosby, Weinstein, Michael Cohen, Jeffrey Epstein and others, whose cases he analyzes as to how they succeeded and failed. To get insight into how the mind of a prosecutor works (and how they decide to take on cases or not), and how the DOJ and court system function, this book explains the process in a clear, interesting manner.

[Mary Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trump gets away with it again.

History will answer the question: What has Trump done to our country? I am still amazed to hear some defend him so aggressively and that those who oppose his ugly manner of governance are simply part of the witch hunt. This book was eye opening, thought provoking, and very frightening. I voted for him in 2016 but his rhetoric and behaviour made that impossible in 2020. This is the first book I have read from a strictly legal point of view. It is disheartening to realize how cowardly our justice system system is when facing a bully.

[Alena · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5-3 stars. Rounded down to 2.

As some other reviews note, this book was very Trump heavy. I didn’t know that going in and I wasn’t into the parts of the book that were shoulda, coulda, woulda. I preferred the author’s stories about cases he prosecuted but most were very short and surface level retellings.

[Michela Gatto · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - good book! I would’ve really liked more person stories about Eli’s experience and time at SDNY and less about Trump. While there is some, I wanted more stories and insight into the cases he tried but still a good read if interested in prosecution!

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Not much new information. Wasn't expecting it to be solely about Trump

[Walt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a book on how the rich "get away with it." This is a Trump book by a CNN talking head. The book is overwhelmingly focused on Trump, not "the rich." Honig makes some attempts to broaden his arguments beyond Trump. But Trump is such an unusual outlier that these extensions fall flat. Honig tries to compare Trump to Mafia bosses and a few high profile offenders, most notable Jeffrey Epstein. Again, the similarities fall short of Trump, as though forced....

There are way too many books on Trump. Love him or hate him, there are too many. Another one by a CNN commentator is not going to change anyone's mind, and do little to continue the dialogue. This book should be titled How Trump Got Away with Everything. There is so little additional content to extend it to other privileged and wealthy criminals. Even when writing chapters on Epstein or the Geas Brothers, the topic always turns to Trump.

Honig's status as a CNN talking head rests on his career as a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York. That office is famously independent (Honig reminds readers ad nauseam) and willing to take on the rich and powerful. I usually do not include Mafia bosses in that category. They have been beaten so much by conspiracy laws, and their livelihood legitimized so much that they are cartoonish in the 2020s. But these brief passages offer some of the briefest glimpses into something other than Trump and the status of the mob ca. 2010s. Honig brings up Gambino Captain Danny Marino numerous times. He may have ordered the death of a tough guy. Honig prosecuted middlemen and the gunman (who was found not guilty by the jury, but sentenced to 20 years for murder by the judge!). But Honig only got 5 years for Marino. I think he is haunted by shame because RICO cases are so common and so easy....He might have lost his plum job at SDNY for botching the case.

Only in 1 brief chapter does he not discuss Trump. Chapter 16: "Tawdry, Distasteful, but Perfectly Legal" fixates on a couple of bribery and corruption cases that reached the Supreme Court which ruled that the cases looked like a duck, quacked like a duck, and acted like a duck; but were something totally different. Honig argues that SCOTUS effectively decriminalized public corruption with those cases as federal prosecutors have never brought a corruption case since those rulings ca. 2015. A smoking gun of a politician clearly declaring cash for votes (or a president asking an election official to find 11,000 votes) might not reach the bar for guilt.

Overall, it is a well-written book. The organization, approach, writing style, and depth are welcome and refreshing. Unlike many current events books, Honig is not trying to cause emotional distress or outrage. He is trying to appear as a calm and logical former prosecutor who follows the evidence. Readers interested in how Trump manipulates the system will enjoy the book. Anyone else looking for ways the wealthy game the system will have to read between the lines and try to apply Honig's logic to other cases.

[Adam Rabiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the last book I reviewed, Condemned, by Keith Lamar, laments how poor, black and other minorities get the short end of the stick as far as the criminal justice system goes in the U.S., Untouchable clearly demonstrates the exact opposite. Author Elie Honig, a former US prosecutor for the Southern District of New York and CNN senior legal analyst details how powerful people often shield themselves effectively from criminal prosecution, even when they are clearly guilty as sin. Honig shifts between focusing on some of the mob bosses and underlings he went after and Donald J. Trump. Not surprisingly, many of the tactics and built in defenses, are exactly the same. Each of his chapters demonstrates a slightly different defense that protects the most powerful, typically those at the very top of the criminal enterprise, like the Don or Mafia head, as well as the president of the United States. For example chapter one, "Do What You Have to Do" demonstrates that a kingpin need not be specific to be understood and this complicates matters for prosecutors who may lack a smoking gun. This theme is picked up in a later chapter - Say it Without Saying it. Other chapters discuss how lawyers that represent underlings often serve the Godfather, the impossibly high cost of legal representation that favors the rich over everyone else, how difficult it is to go after those at the apex of an organization as opposed to those at the lowest levels (to get the guy at the top you have to flip a lot of underlings), fear among jurors and others in the family, Omerta or enforcing silence, individual and systemic biases, among other factors. It is a fascinating litany. And when Honig focuses on Trump, you see how the office of the presidency offers even more advantages. Untouchable came out before Trump was eventually indicted. But even so, Honig is not optimistic of Trump's chances of being convicted. He feels that both Fani Willis and Merrick Garland waited much too long and squandered some early advantages. Honig is an excellent lawyer and analyst and I don't doubt he may be correct, as much as I wish he were not.

[Antonia ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the multiple perspectives that were presented in this book. When most people think of powerful people and how they get away with things, it's likely that most people think of money. It certainly is true that money allows people to get away with a lot more than others such as through the access to better lawyers. However, I liked the discussion about the role fear also plays into these outcomes. It offered a different perspective when jurors' fears were discussed. I think it made a lot of sense because jurors could reasonably fear retaliation if they convict someone powerful such as someone with ties to the mafia or a politician.

I also really enjoyed the examples and stories provided. I thought the discussion of the mafia provided great insight. The author highlighted how it's always the people at the bottom who end up getting caught while the people on top remain untouched and it's difficult to find any evidence of their involvement. I thought the discussion on the culture of these organizations was fascinating. Many of the people at the top never say anything directly. That allows them to have just enough wiggle room to claim that they didn't directly give any orders and their words were misunderstood. One of my favorite points brought up in this book is that Lady Justice isn't blind, she wears a blindfold and sometimes she removes the blindfold and sneaks a peak. I thought that point was so powerful because everyone doesn't receive the same treatment by the criminal justice system.

It also added a lot of value to mention the Me Too Movement. It was a great point to bring up because that movement truly shows how power, money, and fear allow some people to continue to get away with crimes. It showed that powerful people can eventually be taken down but it requires many people to speak out. Unfortunately, it shows how morally corrupt society could be at times. There were times in the book where I felt like it was dragging. I think that is mostly because I felt there were some parts that could've been left out or I didn't fully comprehend. However, I think that mostly has to do with the topics that I find interesting. I'm not really into politics but I do see the value the discussion on Trump brought to this topic. It was a fascinating read and I believe I learn a lot about powerful people and politics.