Trump: I need loyalty.
Comey: You will always get honesty from me.
James Comey, former FBI Director, recounts in this book, how he defied, on the grounds of personal principles and institutional values of the FBI, several subtle attempts by Donald Trump, to court his loyalty. Unfortunately, his failure to assent to the need of the presidency cost him his job and public service career of more than two decades. In a deeply partisan society, the former FBI Director, exposes the daunting task of insulating himself, as a leader in the intelligence community, from the ubiquitous politics of the American society. His position on constitutional supremacy is summed up as follows: The Constitution and the rule of law are not partisan tools. Lady Justice wears a blindfold. She is not supposed to peek out to see how her political master wishes her to weigh a matter.
Unapologetically, I am a lawyer obsessed with obedience to the rule of law, loyalty to the constitution at all times and consistency to the justice of truth. I have seen and experienced many instances across political regimes of deliberate breach of the rule of law by state-persons/apparatus and wilful subversion of the dictates of our nation’s constitution for political gains and interests. Like Comey, my disapproving positions on some of those incidents, have driven a wedge in some of my close friendships, deprived me of earnings and had the concomitant risk of being mischaracterized as “showmanship” or “being unnecessarily fastidious”.
As a lawyer, sworn to defend the values and virtues inscribed in our constitution, I believe that loyalty to those laws and rules which regulate and define the leadership and membership of our society should always at all times be higher—than all persons, ethnic groups or political parties.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially cause lawyers, constitutional activists, and those whose work and mission is to defend truth in all societies at all times.
P.S. Comey stated in this book that he once visited Sierra Leone when his wife was on a peace corps mission.
I will be a nice Read.