ON COMPLICITY AND COURAGE

If you are new to my Substack, I am doing research for my book, Uncompromised: Activating Your Moral Compass in an Age of Complicity, and using this platform to showcase some of the authors and research I am learning from to understand what makes people complicit in bad behavior, and learning from the people who take a stand against it.

To this end, I’ll be writing free posts on these topics each month, in addition to my weekly Round Ups, on the topics of complicity and courage. Each month I’ll have one person — like a psychologist, professor, leadership expert — explain the science and theory behind complicity and courage. And then I will also bring in a real-time moral rebel who can talk about what led them to take a stand — despite the personal and professional risks they faced (and often still face). Studies show that people are better able to resist pressure and stand up for their beliefs when they can reflect on their own values and see models of moral courage in action, so I hope you will tune in and take some knowledge and inspiration from my guests! (You can find past guests, as well as posts on the topic, under the Complicity & Courage tab on the homepage.)

Zoom links for guest speakers are sent three hours before the event, and the discussions will be recorded and posted for those who cannot make it live. You can always access past guest speakers here and book club authors here.

Subscribe now

THIS WEEK!

• On Courage: Moran, former Senior National Correspondent at ABC News and now author of the Substack, (Thursday, April 23, 2026, 3 p.m. EDT). I always loved being on ABC News when Terry was hosting because of his thoughtful analysis of the news of the day. But I am even more excited to have him on to talk about how the media is responding to the authoritarian threat and his own experience speaking the blunt truth (and paying a price for it).

Share

Coming Up:

• On Complicity: Professor Kim Lane Scheppele, Professor at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (May Time/Date TBA). I have learned SO MUCH from Professor Scheppele about the authoritarian playbook being replicated around the world. Tune in to learn the tactics used by Orban in Hungary and the far right in Brazil and how Project 2025 has mirrored these moves.

• On Courage: Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn (May Time/Date TBA). I think all of us are incredibly grateful for Harry’s service, along with the rest of the Capitol Hill police, on January 6. I have had a chance to hear him speak and to get to know him personally since then, and am so thrilled that he will be coming on this Substack to talk to us!

Subscribe now

The Freedom Academy Book Club

In the past I have typically done a book selection every quarter, but I am going to get more ambitious for 2026 and try to do one each month — too many interesting books and cool authors! Check out the selections below:

• NEXT WEEK! APRIL (Thursday, April 30, 1-2 p.m. EDT): Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy by , author of Substack. This book talk is waaaaaay overdue, but Joyce has been on the road since her bestseller came out so I am happy to grab her when I can! I know we will all need a civic pep talk and pick me up in April…plus we will have changed the clocks by then so things will already feel more hopeful. I truly can’t wait for this discussion!

• MAY (Thursday, May 28, 5-6 p.m. EDT): Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by . I know that as we approach SCOTUS decision season we will need an expert guide to help us make sense of rulings that have come down and what to expect on the ones still pending! I am so excited to talk with University of Michigan Law Professor Leah Litman about how the Supreme Court has gone off the rails and what (if anything) we can do about it.

• JUNE (Date/Time TBA): The Voter File by . David has been a guest several times on my Substack but this time we will be talking about his prescient novel! The Voter File came out in 2020 and is a story about how elections can be manipulated if someone can get their hands on…you got it, the voter file. Well, guess what? The Trump administration is trying to get their hands on…states’ voter files. Life imitates art, I guess (David’s first novel, published in 2016, was about Russian election interference.) This will be a terrifying beach read with real world implications!

• JULY (Date/Time TBA): One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps by Andrea Pritzker. Is it OK to call the warehouses being built across the U.S. as “concentration camps”? Andrea Pritzker knows the answer (and it’s yes). There has, sadly, never been a more important time to learn the history of how this form of human internment and political repression was developed and how it has evolved. (I picked July so at least the weather is nice when we’re reading it — better than in winter when it gets dark at 4 p.m. and you’re already depressed.)

  

• AUGUST (Date/Time TBA): The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni. This book has been on my nightstand forever…to be honest, though, I couldn’t bring myself to read it last year, when Elon Musk was still taking a wrecking ball to our government. But now I’m ready: find out the origin story of the tech villains you love to hate, and who now have an outsized influence on our collective future.

• SEPTEMBER (Date/Time TBA): Justice Under Siege by Mimi Rocah. Mimi is a former federal prosecutor who is writing, in real-time, about the hostile takeover and purge of the Justice Department. We’ll get to talk to her when her book is hot off the presses, just in time to get us fired up for the midterms! (No book cover yet, but you’ll be the first to see it when it’s out!)

• OCTOBER (Date/Time TBA): The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner. I’ve been so excited to read Tim’s book since it came out last fall. His last book on the CIA, Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA (a must-read), chronicled the history and evolution of the agency from its inception during World War II through 9/11. This book picks it up from there to the present day. This will be a great discussion on the past and the future of our foreign intelligence capability.

  

• NOVEMBER (Date/Time TBA): This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History by Beverly Gage. I was soooo excited to learn that this book was finally out! For those of you who have been subcribers to The Freedom Academy for a while, you know that Professor Gage’s G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of an American Century was our first book club selection! (You can watch that talk here.) I’m soooo excited to have her back to discuss her latest project, which a journey through the amazing history and diversity of OUR country. With better planning I would have gotten this on the calendar closer to July 4, but honestly the midterm elections is as good a time as any to be reminded of the American values we love, and why they are still alive and well in the hearts of its people.

  

• DECEMBER (Date/Time TBA): The Lost Orchid: A Tale of Victorian Plunder and Obsession by Sarah Bilston. I realize that this title is not necessarily in the vein as the others, but I feel like by December we’re going to be ready for a change of pace for the holidays — and what better distraction is there than a little Victorian plunder and obsession? Seriously, though, this book has been on my to-read list since my brilliant colleague, professor of British literature, and master storyteller published this last year (I’m also partial to orchids, it being the only plant I have successfully managed to tend in my home). This will be a fun discussion to close out the year!

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Podcast appearances:

Renato and I didn’t record a podcast this past week because I was traveling, but you can check out my appearance on ’s , where we discuss the state of the FBI today (sadly, this was before the latest crazy reports about FBI Director Kash Patel). The full podcast is available here (and also on Spotify), but here is a short clip:

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It’s Complicated is Cruisin’!

Come join me and Renato as we explore the stunning beauty of Alaska and discuss how we can work together to protect our democracy! It’s a small ship, and there will be lots of opportunities to talk to us both, plus we will have an opening and closing reception and dedicated democracy discussion tables throughout the cruise. You can find out more at this link, and fill out your info here to have an agent call you with more information.

Leave a comment

I’ve been following the Trump-Pope showcase showdown while traveling these last few weeks in the U.K. and E.U. I’m not sure this is the smartest fight for him to pick, politically speaking, but in the end, I’m not sure his goal is to actually win against the Pope. I think it’s to get his followers to abandon their faith in anyone else but him. In other words, it’s a loyalty test, and he’s not the first one to make people choose between him and the Catholic Church.

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Probably like a lot of readers of this Substack, I went down the whole Tudor England rabbit hole a few decades ago when Philippa Gregory’s historical novels about the period came out; I also read Alison Weir’s The Six Wives of Henry VIII (nonfiction, and excellent), the first two books of Hilary Mantel’s trilogy (the last one is still on my shelf), and a ton of BBC docuseries about the period. This is why, at the beginning of Trump’s first term, I wasn’t the only one struck by how he shared many personality traits with the former monarch. I mean, leaving aside that Henry VIII was very erudite and also quite creative — two characteristics Trump definitely does not have — he was also a narcissist, tyrannical, vengeful, mercurial, eventually totally out of shape, and, of course, a huge womanizer. (Big “grab ‘em by the p**** “ vibes.) I think what reminded me of Henry VIII the most in Trump’s first term was how he would fire people: He’d do it by tweet or through the press (like with Comey), but never in person. That was how Henry VIII treated two of his wives, including Anne and later Catherine Howard, when he was done with them — just had them arrested and taken to the Tower, while he went off hunting or with his new mistress.

There were other parallels that I can’t remember anymore — we’re well past Tudor England and in Crazytown Hellscape now, so I don’t think about it much these days (though others still are). But the whole Pope thing happened while I happened to be doing some research on oaths, including Henry VIII’s Oath of Succession and Oath of Supremacy. Henry required his subjects to take these oaths after he divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, a move not condoned nor recognized by the Church. He got around this proscription by basically telling the Pope to take the L and making himself the head of the Church of England, and getting Parliament to pass two acts to ratify his break with the church and legitimize his marriage to Anne. These acts mandated the respective oaths: the Oath of Succession acknowledged Henry’s heirs with Anne Boleyn as legitimate, and the Oath of Supremacy recognized Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England.

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I’ve been researching oaths because I’m interested in what kinds of moral codes best constrain behavior. It turns out that oaths are pretty powerful in this regard — people take oaths pretty seriously, perhaps because they can’t be entirely certain that they won’t be called to account in the afterlife for transgressing it, even if they aren’t on earth. To that end, Henry VIII knew what he was doing when he forced his two oaths on his subjects: Choose. Me over the Pope. Pretty much everyone did.1 One of the few who didn’t was one of Henry’s closest advisors, Thomas More. Upon his refusal, he was accused of treason, tried, and executed. (Very Trumpy!)

[Incidentally, the play/movie A Man for All Seasons, about Thomas More’s arrest and trial, also has the following perfect exchange on the rule of law which is also apropos of our time:

William Roper: ‘So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!’

Sir Thomas More: ‘Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?’

William Roper: ‘Yes, I’d cut down every law in England to do that!’

Sir Thomas More: ‘Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned ‘round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man’s laws, not God’s! And if you cut them down, and you’re just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I’d give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety’s sake!’]

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Anyway, Trump hasn’t made his cabinet, members of Congress, or his supporters swear an oath of loyalty to him…yet. But this fight with the Pope may as well be one, and Trump’s minions are obliging. Two days ago, Pete Hegseth compared Trump to Jesus, while House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized the Pope for “wading into political waters.”

But I suspect the loyalty test was mainly for Vice President J.D. Vance, who has been teasing his new book, Communion, which is set to be released in June. It’s hard to tell whether for Trump this is mainly a loyalty-test-as-humiliation-ritual, or loyalty-test-to-tank-JD’s-chances-to-be-president, or loyalty-test-because-this-will-be-the-ultimate-show-of-subservience…or some combination of all three. Whatever it is, J.D. has passed with flying colors, warning the Pope to “be careful” and to “stick to matters of morality.”

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I have no doubt that as the tests escalate, everyone around Trump will continue to fall in line. However, they would be wise to look at the long list of people in Henry VIII’s inner circle who were executed (I counted 54). In the end, loyalty wasn’t what saved them — it was what did them in.

ON COMPLICITY AND COURAGE

If you are new to my Substack, I am doing research for my book, Uncompromised: Activating Your Moral Compass in an Age of Complicity, and using this platform to showcase some of the authors and research I am learning from to understand what makes people complicit in bad behavior, and learning from the people who take a stand against it.

To this end, I’ll be writing free posts on these topics each month, in addition to my weekly Round Ups, on the topics of complicity and courage. Each month I’ll have one person — like a psychologist, professor, leadership expert — explain the science and theory behind complicity and courage. And then I will also bring in a real-time moral rebel who can talk about what led them to take a stand — despite the personal and professional risks they faced (and often still face). Studies show that people are better able to resist pressure and stand up for their beliefs when they can reflect on their own values and see models of moral courage in action, so I hope you will tune in and take some knowledge and inspiration from my guests! (You can find past guests, as well as posts on the topic, under the Complicity & Courage tab on the homepage.)

Zoom links for guest speakers are sent three hours before the event, and the discussions will be recorded and posted for those who cannot make it live. You can always access past guest speakers here and book club authors here.

Subscribe now

THIS WEEK!

No events this week — I am still in Europe, currently in beautiful Switzerland to give a talk before heading to Germany for research for my book. But check out the schedule below, as we will resume events after I get back next week!

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Coming Up:

• On Courage: Moran, former Senior National Correspondent at ABC News and now author of the Substack, (Thursday, April 23, 2026, 3 p.m. EDT). I always loved being on ABC News when Terry was hosting because of his thoughtful analysis of the news of the day. But I am even more excited to have him on to talk about how the media is responding to the authoritarian threat and his own experience speaking the blunt truth (and paying a price for it).

• On Complicity: Professor Kim Lane Scheppele, Professor at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (May Time/Date TBA). I have learned SO MUCH from Professor Scheppele about the authoritarian playbook being replicated around the world. Tune in to learn the tactics used by Orban in Hungary and the far right in Brazil and how Project 2025 has mirrored these moves.

• NEW! On Courage: Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn (May Time/Date TBA). I think all of us are incredibly grateful for Harry’s service, along with the rest of the Capitol Hill police, on January 6. I have had a chance to hear him speak and to get to know him personally since then, and am so thrilled that he will be coming on this Substack to talk to us!

Subscribe now

The Freedom Academy Book Club

In the past I have typically done a book selection every quarter, but I am going to get more ambitious for 2026 and try to do one each month — too many interesting books and cool authors! Check out the selections below:

• APRIL (Thursday, April 30, 1-2 p.m. EDT): Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy by , author of Substack. This book talk is waaaaaay overdue, but Joyce has been on the road since her bestseller came out so I am happy to grab her when I can! I know we will all need a civic pep talk and pick me up in April…plus we will have changed the clocks by then so things will already feel more hopeful. I truly can’t wait for this discussion!

• MAY (Thursday, May 28, 5-6 p.m. EDT): Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by . I know that as we approach SCOTUS decision season we will need an expert guide to help us make sense of rulings that have come down and what to expect on the ones still pending! I am so excited to talk with University of Michigan Law Professor Leah Litman about how the Supreme Court has gone off the rails and what (if anything) we can do about it.

• JUNE (Date/Time TBA): The Voter File by . David has been a guest several times on my Substack but this time we will be talking about his prescient novel! The Voter File came out in 2020 and is a story about how elections can be manipulated if someone can get their hands on…you got it, the voter file. Well, guess what? The Trump administration is trying to get their hands on…states’ voter files. Life imitates art, I guess (David’s first novel, published in 2016, was about Russian election interference.) This will be a terrifying beach read with real world implications!

• JULY (Date/Time TBA): One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps by Andrea Pritzker. Is it OK to call the warehouses being built across the U.S. as “concentration camps”? Andrea Pritzker knows the answer (and it’s yes). There has, sadly, never been a more important time to learn the history of how this form of human internment and political repression was developed and how it has evolved. (I picked July so at least the weather is nice when we’re reading it — better than in winter when it gets dark at 4 p.m. and you’re already depressed.)

  

• AUGUST (Date/Time TBA): The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni. This book has been on my nightstand forever…to be honest, though, I couldn’t bring myself to read it last year, when Elon Musk was still taking a wrecking ball to our government. But now I’m ready: find out the origin story of the tech villains you love to hate, and who now have an outsized influence on our collective future.

• SEPTEMBER (Date/Time TBA): Justice Under Siege by Mimi Rocah. Mimi is a former federal prosecutor who is writing, in real-time, about the hostile takeover and purge of the Justice Department. We’ll get to talk to her when her book is hot off the presses, just in time to get us fired up for the midterms! (No book cover yet, but you’ll be the first to see it when it’s out!)

• OCTOBER (Date/Time TBA): The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner. I’ve been so excited to read Tim’s book since it came out last fall. His last book on the CIA, Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA (a must-read), chronicled the history and evolution of the agency from its inception during World War II through 9/11. This book picks it up from there to the present day. This will be a great discussion on the past and the future of our foreign intelligence capability.

  

• DECEMBER (Date/Time TBA): The Lost Orchid: A Tale of Victorian Plunder and Obsession by Sarah Bilston. I realize that this title is not necessarily in the vein as the others, but I feel like by December we’re going to be ready for a change of pace for the holidays — and what better distraction is there than a little Victorian plunder and obsession? Seriously, though, this book has been on my to-read list since my brilliant colleague, professor of British literature, and master storyteller published this last year (I’m also partial to orchids, it being the only plant I have successfully managed to tend in my home). This will be a fun discussion to close out the year!

Subscribe now

This Week’s It’s Complicated Podcast

This week, I recorded from Cambridge to discuss how we respond to threats of genocide by Trump. We also discuss what’s the endgame behind the new OLC “interpretation” that the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional:

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It’s Complicated is Cruisin’!

Come join me and Renato as we explore the stunning beauty of Alaska and discuss how we can work together to protect our democracy! It’s a small ship, and there will be lots of opportunities to talk to us both, plus we will have an opening and closing reception and dedicated democracy discussion tables throughout the cruise. You can find out more at this link, and fill out your info here to have an agent call you with more information.

Leave a comment

ON COMPLICITY AND COURAGE

If you are new to my Substack, I am doing research for my book, Uncompromised: Activating Your Moral Compass in an Age of Complicity, and using this platform to showcase some of the authors and research I am learning from to understand what makes people complicit in bad behavior, and learning from the people who take a stand against it.

To this end, I’ll be writing free posts on these topics each month, in addition to my weekly Round Ups, on the topics of complicity and courage. Each month I’ll have one person — like a psychologist, professor, leadership expert — explain the science and theory behind complicity and courage. And then I will also bring in a real-time moral rebel who can talk about what led them to take a stand — despite the personal and professional risks they faced (and often still face). Studies show that people are better able to resist pressure and stand up for their beliefs when they can reflect on their own values and see models of moral courage in action, so I hope you will tune in and take some knowledge and inspiration from my guests! (You can find past guests, as well as posts on the topic, under the Complicity & Courage tab on the homepage.)

Zoom links for guest speakers are sent three hours before the event, and the discussions will be recorded and posted for those who cannot make it live. You can always access past guest speakers here and book club authors here.

Subscribe now

THIS WEEK!

No events this week — I am coming off a ski weekend (it was all slush and my legs are dead), and next week I to the U.K., Switzerland, and Germany for conferences, talks, and research! I hope to write while I am jet-setting, but see below for what’s on deck when I get back.

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Coming Up:

• On Courage: Moran, former Senior National Correspondent at ABC News and now author of the Substack, (Thursday, April 23, 2026, 3 p.m. EDT). I always loved being on ABC News when Terry was hosting because of his thoughtful analysis of the news of the day. But I am even more excited to have him on to talk about how the media is responding to the authoritarian threat and his own experience speaking the blunt truth (and paying a price for it).

• On Complicity: Professor Kim Lane Scheppele, Professor at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (May Time/Date TBA). I have learned SO MUCH from Professor Scheppele about the authoritarian playbook being replicated around the world. Tune in to learn the tactics used by Orban in Hungary and the far right in Brazil and how Project 2025 has mirrored these moves.

• NEW! On Courage: Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn (May Time/Date TBA). I think all of us are incredibly grateful for Harry’s service, along with the rest of the Capitol Hill police, on January 6. I have had a chance to hear him speak and to get to know him personally since then, and am so thrilled that he will be coming on this Substack to talk to us!

Subscribe now

The Freedom Academy Book Club

In the past I have typically done a book selection every quarter, but I am going to get more ambitious for 2026 and try to do one each month — too many interesting books and cool authors! Check out the selections below:

• APRIL (Thursday, April 30, 1-2 p.m. EDT): Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy by , author of Substack. This book talk is waaaaaay overdue, but Joyce has been on the road since her bestseller came out so I am happy to grab her when I can! I know we will all need a civic pep talk and pick me up in April…plus we will have changed the clocks by then so things will already feel more hopeful. I truly can’t wait for this discussion!

• MAY (Thursday, May 28, 5-6 p.m. EDT): Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by . I know that as we approach SCOTUS decision season we will need an expert guide to help us make sense of rulings that have come down and what to expect on the ones still pending! I am so excited to talk with University of Michigan Law Professor Leah Litman about how the Supreme Court has gone off the rails and what (if anything) we can do about it.

• JUNE (Date/Time TBA): The Voter File by . David has been a guest several times on my Substack but this time we will be talking about his prescient novel! The Voter File came out in 2020 and is a story about how elections can be manipulated if someone can get their hands on…you got it, the voter file. Well, guess what? The Trump administration is trying to get their hands on…states’ voter files. Life imitates art, I guess (David’s first novel, published in 2016, was about Russian election interference.) This will be a terrifying beach read with real world implications!

• JULY (Date/Time TBA): One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps by Andrea Pritzker. Is it OK to call the warehouses being built across the U.S. as “concentration camps”? Andrea Pritzker knows the answer (and it’s yes). There has, sadly, never been a more important time to learn the history of how this form of human internment and political repression was developed and how it has evolved. (I picked July so at least the weather is nice when we’re reading it — better than in winter when it gets dark at 4 p.m. and you’re already depressed.)

  

• AUGUST (Date/Time TBA): The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni. This book has been on my nightstand forever…to be honest, though, I couldn’t bring myself to read it last year, when Elon Musk was still taking a wrecking ball to our government. But now I’m ready: find out the origin story of the tech villains you love to hate, and who now have an outsized influence on our collective future.

• SEPTEMBER (Date/Time TBA): Justice Under Siege by Mimi Rocah. Mimi is a former federal prosecutor who is writing, in real-time, about the hostile takeover and purge of the Justice Department. We’ll get to talk to her when her book is hot off the presses, just in time to get us fired up for the midterms! (No book cover yet, but you’ll be the first to see it when it’s out!)

• OCTOBER (Date/Time TBA): The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner. I’ve been so excited to read Tim’s book since it came out last fall. His last book on the CIA, Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA (a must-read), chronicled the history and evolution of the agency from its inception during World War II through 9/11. This book picks it up from there to the present day. This will be a great discussion on the past and the future of our foreign intelligence capability.

  

• DECEMBER (Date/Time TBA): The Lost Orchid: A Tale of Victorian Plunder and Obsession by Sarah Bilston. I realize that this title is not necessarily in the vein as the others, but I feel like by December we’re going to be ready for a change of pace for the holidays — and what better distraction is there than a little Victorian plunder and obsession? Seriously, though, this book has been on my to-read list since my brilliant colleague, professor of British literature, and master storyteller published this last year (I’m also partial to orchids, it being the only plant I have successfully managed to tend in my home). This will be a fun discussion to close out the year!

Subscribe now

This Week’s It’s Complicated Podcast

Loved having the one and only on It’s Complicated this week — he helped break down the oral argument in the birthright citizenship case and offers his prediction(s) on how it might turn out. Speaking of breakdowns, Renato and I discuss what it means for DOJ to no longer have a functioning Office of Professional Responsibility:

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It’s Complicated is Cruisin’!

Come join me and Renato as we explore the stunning beauty of Alaska and discuss how we can work together to protect our democracy! It’s a small ship, and there will be lots of opportunities to talk to us both, plus we will have an opening and closing reception and dedicated democracy discussion tables throughout the cruise. You can find out more at this link, and fill out your info here to have an agent call you with more information.

Leave a comment

One of my favorite takeaways (and something I’ve been thinking about a lot) is how we need to understand compl…

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Please join at the following Zoom link at 1:00 p.m. EDT:

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ON COMPLICITY AND COURAGE

If you are new to my Substack, I am doing research for my book, Uncompromised: Activating Your Moral Compass in an Age of Complicity, and using this platform to showcase some of the authors and research I am learning from to understand what makes people complicit in bad behavior, and learning from the people who take a stand against it.

To this end, I’ll be writing free posts on these topics each month, in addition to my weekly Round Ups, on the topics of complicity and courage. Each month I’ll have one person — like a psychologist, professor, leadership expert — explain the science and theory behind complicity and courage. And then I will also bring in a real-time moral rebel who can talk about what led them to take a stand — despite the personal and professional risks they faced (and often still face). Studies show that people are better able to resist pressure and stand up for their beliefs when they can reflect on their own values and see models of moral courage in action, so I hope you will tune in and take some knowledge and inspiration from my guests! (You can find past guests, as well as posts on the topic, under the Complicity & Courage tab on the homepage.)

Zoom links for guest speakers are sent three hours before the event, and the discussions will be recorded and posted for those who cannot make it live. You can always access past guest speakers here and book club authors here.

Subscribe now

THIS WEEK!

• On Complicity: Max Bazerman, Harvard Business School professor and author of Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do About It and Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop, (Thursday, April 2, 1-2 p.m. EDT). My research draws from both of these books by Professor Bazerman and I am excited to talk to him about how the lessons he has drawn for the business context relate to our politics.

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Coming Up:

• On Courage: Moran, former Senior National Correspondent at ABC News and now author of the Substack, (Thursday, April 23, 2026, 3 p.m. EDT). I always loved being on ABC News when Terry was hosting because of his thoughtful analysis of the news of the day. But I am even more excited to have him on to talk about how the media is responding to the authoritarian threat and his own experience speaking the blunt truth (and paying a price for it).

• On Complicity: Professor Kim Lane Scheppele, Professor at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (May Time/Date TBA). I have learned SO MUCH from Professor Scheppele about the authoritarian playbook being replicated around the world. Tune in to learn the tactics used by Orban in Hungary and the far right in Brazil and how Project 2025 has mirrored these moves.

• NEW! On Courage: Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn (May Time/Date TBA). I think all of us are incredibly grateful for Harry’s service, along with the rest of the Capitol Hill police, on January 6. I have had a chance to hear him speak and to get to know him personally since then, and am so thrilled that he will be coming on this Substack to talk to us!

Subscribe now

The Freedom Academy Book Club

In the past I have typically done a book selection every quarter, but I am going to get more ambitious for 2026 and try to do one each month — too many interesting books and cool authors! Check out the selections below:

• APRIL (Thursday, April 30, 1-2 p.m. EDT): Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy by , author of Substack. This book talk is waaaaaay overdue, but Joyce has been on the road since her bestseller came out so I am happy to grab her when I can! I know we will all need a civic pep talk and pick me up in April…plus we will have changed the clocks by then so things will already feel more hopeful. I truly can’t wait for this discussion!

• MAY (Thursday, May 28, 5-6 p.m. EDT): Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by . I know that as we approach SCOTUS decision season we will need an expert guide to help us make sense of rulings that have come down and what to expect on the ones still pending! I am so excited to talk with University of Michigan Law Professor Leah Litman about how the Supreme Court has gone off the rails and what (if anything) we can do about it.

• JUNE (Date/Time TBA): The Voter File by . David has been a guest several times on my Substack but this time we will be talking about his prescient novel! The Voter File came out in 2020 and is a story about how elections can be manipulated if someone can get their hands on…you got it, the voter file. Well, guess what? The Trump administration is trying to get their hands on…states’ voter files. Life imitates art, I guess (David’s first novel, published in 2016, was about Russian election interference.) This will be a terrifying beach read with real world implications!

• JULY (Date/Time TBA): One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps by Andrea Pritzker. Is it OK to call the warehouses being built across the U.S. as “concentration camps”? Andrea Pritzker knows the answer (and it’s yes). There has, sadly, never been a more important time to learn the history of how this form of human internment and political repression was developed and how it has evolved. (I picked July so at least the weather is nice when we’re reading it — better than in winter when it gets dark at 4 p.m. and you’re already depressed.)

  

• AUGUST (Date/Time TBA): The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni. This book has been on my nightstand forever…to be honest, though, I couldn’t bring myself to read it last year, when Elon Musk was still taking a wrecking ball to our government. But now I’m ready: find out the origin story of the tech villains you love to hate, and who now have an outsized influence on our collective future.

• SEPTEMBER (Date/Time TBA): Justice Under Siege by Mimi Rocah. Mimi is a former federal prosecutor who is writing, in real-time, about the hostile takeover and purge of the Justice Department. We’ll get to talk to her when her book is hot off the presses, just in time to get us fired up for the midterms! (No book cover yet, but you’ll be the first to see it when it’s out!)

• OCTOBER (Date/Time TBA): The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner. I’ve been so excited to read Tim’s book since it came out last fall. His last book on the CIA, Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA (a must-read), chronicled the history and evolution of the agency from its inception during World War II through 9/11. This book picks it up from there to the present day. This will be a great discussion on the past and the future of our foreign intelligence capability.

  

• DECEMBER (Date/Time TBA): The Lost Orchid: A Tale of Victorian Plunder and Obsession by Sarah Bilston. I realize that this title is not necessarily in the vein as the others, but I feel like by December we’re going to be ready for a change of pace for the holidays — and what better distraction is there than a little Victorian plunder and obsession? Seriously, though, this book has been on my to-read list since my brilliant colleague, professor of British literature, and master storyteller published this last year (I’m also partial to orchids, it being the only plant I have successfully managed to tend in my home). This will be a fun discussion to close out the year!

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This Week’s It’s Complicated Podcast

This week, Renato and I discuss the tea leaves on Watson v. Republican National Committee, a case about states’ ability to control the date windows for mail-in voting. We also cover the latest DOJ clown-shoe shenanigans, including failing to properly serve a Washington state official in a lawsuit for voter data, and its refusal to share evidence in the ICE shooting investigations by the state of Minnesota, which has now sued the government to force the administration to cooperate. Check it out:

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It’s Complicated is Cruisin’!

Come join me and Renato as we explore the stunning beauty of Alaska and discuss how we can work together to protect our democracy! It’s a small ship, and there will be lots of opportunities to talk to us both, plus we will have an opening and closing reception and dedicated democracy discussion tables throughout the cruise. You can find out more at this link, and fill out your info here to have an agent call you with more information.

Leave a comment

ON COMPLICITY AND COURAGE

If you are new to my Substack, I am doing research for my book, Uncompromised: Activating Your Moral Compass in an Age of Complicity, and using this platform to showcase some of the authors and research I am learning from to understand what makes people complicit in bad behavior, and learning from the people who take a stand against it.

To this end, I’ll be writing free posts on these topics each month, in addition to my weekly Round Ups, on the topics of complicity and courage. Each month I’ll have one person — like a psychologist, professor, leadership expert — explain the science and theory behind complicity and courage. And then I will also bring in a real-time moral rebel who can talk about what led them to take a stand — despite the personal and professional risks they faced (and often still face). Studies show that people are better able to resist pressure and stand up for their beliefs when they can reflect on their own values and see models of moral courage in action, so I hope you will tune in and take some knowledge and inspiration from my guests! (You can find past guests, as well as posts on the topic, under the Complicity & Courage tab on the homepage.)

Zoom links for guest speakers are sent three hours before the event, and the discussions will be recorded and posted for those who cannot make it live. You can always access past guest speakers here and book club authors here.

Subscribe now

THIS WEEK!

• Freedom Academy Book Club: 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England, and a Nazi in Patagonia by Philippe Sands, Tuesday, March 24, 3-4 p.m. EDT). Philippe reached out to me after my appearance on Ezra Klein’s podcast last spring, because I compared the removal of Kilmar Albrego Garcia to Chile in 1973. His gripping account of Pinochet’s indictment for crimes against humanity and extradition to Spain and its thru line from Nuremberg, are important lessons for today. Not to mention that the legal issues surrounding head of state immunity are more pertinent than ever in light of Maduro (and God knows what other leaders the U.S. will rendition in the coming weeks and months).

  

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Coming Up:

• On Complicity: Max Bazerman, Harvard Business School professor and author of Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do About It and Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop, (Thursday, April 2, 1-2 p.m. EDT). I have drawn from both of these books by Professor Bazerman and I am excited to talk to him about how the lessons he has drawn for the business context relate to our politics.

• On Courage: Moran, former Senior National Correspondent at ABC News and now author of the Substack, (Thursday, April 23, 2026, 3 p.m. EDT). I always loved being on ABC News when Terry was hosting because of his thoughtful analysis of the news of the day. But I am even more excited to have him on to talk about how the media is responding to the authoritarian threat and his own experience speaking the blunt truth (and paying a price for it).

• On Complicity: Professor Kim Lane Scheppele, Professor at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (May Time/Date TBA). I have learned SO MUCH from Professor Scheppele about the authoritarian playbook being replicated around the world. Tune in to learn the tactics used by Orban in Hungary and the far right in Brazil and how Project 2025 has mirrored these moves.

• NEW! On Courage: Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn (May Time/Date TBA). I think all of us are incredibly grateful for Harry’s service, along with the rest of the Capitol Hill police, on January 6. I have had a chance to hear him speak and to get to know him personally since then, and am so thrilled that he will be coming on this Substack to talk to us!

Subscribe now

The Freedom Academy Book Club

In the past I have typically done a book selection every quarter, but I am going to get more ambitious for 2026 and try to do one each month — too many interesting books and cool authors! Check out the selections below:

• APRIL (Thursday, April 30, 1-2 p.m. EDT): Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy by , author of Substack. This book talk is waaaaaay overdue, but Joyce has been on the road since her bestseller came out so I am happy to grab her when I can! I know we will all need a civic pep talk and pick me up in April…plus we will have changed the clocks by then so things will already feel more hopeful. I truly can’t wait for this discussion!

• MAY (Thursday, May 28, 5-6 p.m. EDT): Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by . I know that as we approach SCOTUS decision season we will need an expert guide to help us make sense of rulings that have come down and what to expect on the ones still pending! I am so excited to talk with University of Michigan Law Professor Leah Litman about how the Supreme Court has gone off the rails and what (if anything) we can do about it.

• JUNE (Date/Time TBA): The Voter File by . David has been a guest several times on my Substack but this time we will be talking about his prescient novel! The Voter File came out in 2020 and is a story about how elections can be manipulated if someone can get their hands on…you got it, the voter file. Well, guess what? The Trump administration is trying to get their hands on…states’ voter files. Life imitates art, I guess (David’s first novel, published in 2016, was about Russian election interference.) This will be a terrifying beach read with real world implications!

• JULY (Date/Time TBA): One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps by Andrea Pritzker. Is it OK to call the warehouses being built across the U.S. as “concentration camps”? Andrea Pritzker knows the answer (and it’s yes). There has, sadly, never been a more important time to learn the history of how this form of human internment and political repression was developed and how it has evolved. (I picked July so at least the weather is nice when we’re reading it — better than in winter when it gets dark at 4 p.m. and you’re already depressed.)

  

• AUGUST (Date/Time TBA): The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni. This book has been on my nightstand forever…to be honest, though, I couldn’t bring myself to read it last year, when Elon Musk was still taking a wrecking ball to our government. But now I’m ready: find out the origin story of the tech villains you love to hate, and who now have an outsized influence on our collective future.

• SEPTEMBER (Date/Time TBA): Justice Under Siege by Mimi Rocah. Mimi is a former federal prosecutor who is writing, in real-time, about the hostile takeover and purge of the Justice Department. We’ll get to talk to her when her book is hot off the presses, just in time to get us fired up for the midterms! (No book cover yet, but you’ll be the first to see it when it’s out!)

• OCTOBER (Date/Time TBA): The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner. I’ve been so excited to read Tim’s book since it came out last fall. His last book on the CIA, Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA (a must-read), chronicled the history and evolution of the agency from its inception during World War II through 9/11. This book picks it up from there to the present day. This will be a great discussion on the past and the future of our foreign intelligence capability.

  

  Subscribe now

This Week’s It’s Complicated Podcast

Good news from the legal front lines! Renato and I discuss the benchslaps from Judge Murphy against RFK as well as from Judge Boasberg against Jeannine Pirro’s attempt to go on a fishing expedition against Jerome Powell:

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It’s Complicated is Cruisin’!

Come join me and Renato as we explore the stunning beauty of Alaska and discuss how we can work together to protect our democracy! It’s a small ship, and there will be lots of opportunities to talk to us both, plus we will have an opening and closing reception and dedicated democracy discussion tables throughout the cruise. You can find out more at this link, and fill out your info here to have an agent call you with more information.

Leave a comment

Read more

Please join at the following Zoom link at 12:00 p.m. EDT:

Read more

Welcome to new subscribers! Scroll down to see the guest speakers, book club authors, and happy hour guests coming up, as well as a link to this week’s It’s Complicated podcast!

The new focus for my Substack has been off to a great start in 2026! If you are new to my Substack, I am doing research for my book, Uncompromised: Activating Your Moral Compass in an Age of Complicity, and using this platform to showcase some of the authors and research I am learning from to understand what makes people complicit in bad behavior, and learning from the people who take a stand against it.

To this end, I’ll be writing free posts on these topics each month, in addition to my weekly Round Ups, on the topics of complicity and courage. Each month I’ll have one person — like a psychologist, professor, leadership expert — explain the science and theory behind complicity and courage. And then I will also bring in a real-time moral rebel who can talk about what led them to take a stand — despite the personal and professional risks they faced (and often still face). Studies show that people are better able to resist pressure and stand up for their beliefs when they can reflect on their own values and see models of moral courage in action, so I hope you will tune in and take some knowledge and inspiration from my guests! (You can find past guests, as well as posts on the topic, under the Complicity & Courage tab on the homepage.)

Zoom links for guest speakers are sent three hours before the event, and the discussions will be recorded and posted for those who cannot make it live. You can always access past guest speakers here and book club authors here.

Subscribe now

TOMORROW!

• On Courage: Alexander Vindman, author of the Why It Matters Substack and Here, Right Matters: An American Story, Monday, March 16, 12-1 p.m. EDT. Alex was one of the first people in Trump 1.0 to really step forward and speak truth to power as a star witness in Trump’s first impeachment trial. I am excited to talk with him about that experience and his journey from that point to running for the Senate in Florida!

Share

Coming Up:

• On Complicity: Max Bazerman, Harvard Business School professor and author of Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do About It and Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop, (Thursday, April 2, 1-2 p.m. EDT). I have drawn from both of these books by Professor Bazerman and I am excited to talk to him about how the lessons he has drawn for the business context relate to our politics.

• On Courage: Moran, former Senior National Correspondent at ABC News and now author of the Substack, (Thursday, April 23, 2026, 3 p.m. EDT). I always loved being on ABC News when Terry was hosting because of his thoughtful analysis of the news of the day. But I am even more excited to have him on to talk about how the media is responding to the authoritarian threat and his own experience speaking the blunt truth (and paying a price for it).

• On Complicity: Professor Kim Lane Scheppele, Professor at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (May Time/Date TBA). I have learned SO MUCH from Professor Scheppele about the authoritarian playbook being replicated around the world. Tune in to learn the tactics used by Orban in Hungary and the far right in Brazil and how Project 2025 has mirrored these moves.

Subscribe now

The Freedom Academy Book Club

In the past I have typically done a book selection every quarter, but I am going to get more ambitious for 2026 and try to do one each month — too many interesting books and cool authors! Check out the selections below:

• MARCH (Tuesday, March 24, 3-4 p.m. EDT): 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England, and a Nazi in Patagonia by Philippe Sands. Philippe reached out to me after my appearance on Ezra Klein’s podcast last spring, because I compared the removal of Kilmar Albrego Garcia to Chile in 1973. His gripping account of Pinochet’s indictment for crimes against humanity and extradition to Spain and its thru line from Nuremberg, are important lessons for today. Not to mention that the legal issues surrounding head of state immunity are more pertinent than ever in light of Maduro (and God knows what other leaders the U.S. will rendition in the coming weeks and months).

• APRIL (Thursday, April 30, 1-2 p.m. EDT): Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy by , author of Substack. This book talk is waaaaaay overdue, but Joyce has been on the road since her bestseller came out so I am happy to grab her when I can! I know we will all need a civic pep talk and pick me up in April…plus we will have changed the clocks by then so things will already feel more hopeful. I truly can’t wait for this discussion!

• MAY (Thursday, May 28, 5-6 p.m. EDT): Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by . I know that as we approach SCOTUS decision season we will need an expert guide to help us make sense of rulings that have come down and what to expect on the ones still pending! I am so excited to talk with University of Michigan Law Professor Leah Litman about how the Supreme Court has gone off the rails and what (if anything) we can do about it.

• JUNE (Date/Time TBA): The Voter File by . David has been a guest several times on my Substack but this time we will be talking about his prescient novel! The Voter File came out in 2020 and is a story about how elections can be manipulated if someone can get their hands on…you got it, the voter file. Well, guess what? The Trump administration is trying to get their hands on…states’ voter files. Life imitates art, I guess (David’s first novel, published in 2016, was about Russian election interference.) This will be a terrifying beach read with real world implications!

• JULY (Date/Time TBA): One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps by Andrea Pritzker. Is it OK to call the warehouses being built across the U.S. as “concentration camps”? Andrea Pritzker knows the answer (and it’s yes). There has, sadly, never been a more important time to learn the history of how this form of human internment and political repression was developed and how it has evolved. (I picked July so at least the weather is nice when we’re reading it — better than in winter when it gets dark at 4 p.m. and you’re already depressed.)

  

• AUGUST (Date/Time TBA): The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni. This book has been on my nightstand forever…to be honest, though, I couldn’t bring myself to read it last year, when Elon Musk was still taking a wrecking ball to our government. But now I’m ready: find out the origin story of the tech villains you love to hate, and who now have an outsized influence on our collective future.

• SEPTEMBER (Date/Time TBA): Justice Under Siege by Mimi Rocah. Mimi is a former federal prosecutor who is writing, in real-time, about the hostile takeover and purge of the Justice Department. We’ll get to talk to her when her book is hot off the presses, just in time to get us fired up for the midterms! (No book cover yet, but you’ll be the first to see it when it’s out!)

• OCTOBER (Date/Time TBA): The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner. I’ve been so excited to read Tim’s book since it came out last fall. His last book on the CIA, Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA (a must-read), chronicled the history and evolution of the agency from its inception during World War II through 9/11. This book picks it up from there to the present day. This will be a great discussion on the past and the future of our foreign intelligence capability.

  

  Subscribe now

This Week’s It’s Complicated Podcast

Renato and I discuss Anthropic’s lawsuit pushing back on Hegseth’s attempt to strong arm the company. Also, more shenanigans from the Justice Department:

Share

It’s Complicated is Cruisin’!

Come join me and Renato as we explore the stunning beauty of Alaska and discuss how we can work together to protect our democracy! It’s a small ship, and there will be lots of opportunities to talk to us both, plus we will have an opening and closing reception and dedicated democracy discussion tables throughout the cruise. You can find out more at this link, and fill out your info here to have an agent call you with more information.

Leave a comment

Please join at the following Zoom link at 4:00 p.m. EDT:

Read more

Welcome to new subscribers! Scroll down to see the guest speakers, book club authors, and happy hour guests coming up, as well as a link to this week’s It’s Complicated podcast!

The new focus for my Substack has been off to a great start in 2026! If you are new to my Substack, I am doing research for my book, Uncompromised: Activating Your Moral Compass in an Age of Complicity, and using this platform to showcase some of the authors and research I am learning from to understand what makes people complicit in bad behavior, and learning from the people who take a stand against it.

To this end, I’ll be writing free posts on these topics each month, in addition to my weekly Round Ups, on the topics of complicity and courage. Each month I’ll have one person — like a psychologist, professor, leadership expert — explain the science and theory behind complicity and courage. And then I will also bring in a real-time moral rebel who can talk about what led them to take a stand — despite the personal and professional risks they faced (and often still face). Studies show that people are better able to resist pressure and stand up for their beliefs when they can reflect on their own values and see models of moral courage in action, so I hope you will tune in and take some knowledge and inspiration from my guests! (You can find past guests, as well as posts on the topic, under the Complicity & Courage tab on the homepage.)

Zoom links for guest speakers are sent three hours before the event, and the discussions will be recorded and posted for those who cannot make it live. You can always access past guest speakers here and book club authors here.

Subscribe now

NEW AND THIS WEEK!

• Happy Hour with Professor Mark Copelvitch, Friday, March 13, 4-5 p.m. EDT. I have been following Mark on Bluesky for the last year or so and learn so much from his insights (and also enjoy his dark humor). Join us as we unpack [waves hands around] everything — come with questions. Definitely bring your favorite beverage.

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Coming Up:

• On Courage: Alexander Vindman, author of the Why It Matters Substack and Here, Right Matters: An American Story, Monday, March 16, 12-1 p.m. EDT. Alex was one of the first people in Trump 1.0 to really step forward and speak truth to power as a star witness in Trump’s first impeachment trial. I am excited to talk with him about that experience and his journey from that point to running for the Senate in Florida!

• On Complicity: Max Bazerman, Harvard Business School professor and author of Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do About It and Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop, (Thursday, April 2, 1-2 p.m. EDT). I have drawn from both of these books by Professor Bazerman and I am excited to talk to him about how the lessons he has drawn for the business context relate to our politics.

• On Courage: Moran, former Senior National Correspondent at ABC News and now author of the Substack, (Thursday, April 23, 2026, 3 p.m. EDT). I always loved being on ABC News when Terry was hosting because of his thoughtful analysis of the news of the day. But I am even more excited to have him on to talk about how the media is responding to the authoritarian threat and his own experience speaking the blunt truth (and paying a price for it).

• On Complicity: Professor Kim Lane Scheppele, Professor at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (May Time/Date TBA). I have learned SO MUCH from Professor Scheppele about the authoritarian playbook being replicated around the world. Tune in to learn the tactics used by Orban in Hungary and the far right in Brazil and how Project 2025 has mirrored these moves.

Subscribe now

The Freedom Academy Book Club

In the past I have typically done a book selection every quarter, but I am going to get more ambitious for 2026 and try to do one each month — too many interesting books and cool authors! Check out the selections below:

• MARCH (Tuesday, March 24, 3-4 p.m. EDT): 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England, and a Nazi in Patagonia by Philippe Sands. Philippe reached out to me after my appearance on Ezra Klein’s podcast last spring, because I compared the removal of Kilmar Albrego Garcia to Chile in 1973. His gripping account of Pinochet’s indictment for crimes against humanity and extradition to Spain and its thru line from Nuremberg, are important lessons for today. Not to mention that the legal issues surrounding head of state immunity are more pertinent than ever in light of Maduro (and God knows what other leaders the U.S. will rendition in the coming weeks and months).

• APRIL (Thursday, April 30, 1-2 p.m. EDT): Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy by , author of Substack. This book talk is waaaaaay overdue, but Joyce has been on the road since her bestseller came out so I am happy to grab her when I can! I know we will all need a civic pep talk and pick me up in April…plus we will have changed the clocks by then so things will already feel more hopeful. I truly can’t wait for this discussion!

• MAY (Thursday, May 28, 5-6 p.m. EDT): Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by . I know that as we approach SCOTUS decision season we will need an expert guide to help us make sense of rulings that have come down and what to expect on the ones still pending! I am so excited to talk with University of Michigan Law Professor Leah Litman about how the Supreme Court has gone off the rails and what (if anything) we can do about it.

• JUNE (Date/Time TBA): The Voter File by . David has been a guest several times on my Substack but this time we will be talking about his prescient novel! The Voter File came out in 2020 and is a story about how elections can be manipulated if someone can get their hands on…you got it, the voter file. Well, guess what? The Trump administration is trying to get their hands on…states’ voter files. Life imitates art, I guess (David’s first novel, published in 2016, was about Russian election interference.) This will be a terrifying beach read with real world implications!

• JULY (Date/Time TBA): One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps by Andrea Pritzker. Is it OK to call the warehouses being built across the U.S. as “concentration camps”? Andrea Pritzker knows the answer (and it’s yes). There has, sadly, never been a more important time to learn the history of how this form of human internment and political repression was developed and how it has evolved. (I picked July so at least the weather is nice when we’re reading it — better than in winter when it gets dark at 4 p.m. and you’re already depressed.)

  

• AUGUST (Date/Time TBA): The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni. This book has been on my nightstand forever…to be honest, though, I couldn’t bring myself to read it last year, when Elon Musk was still taking a wrecking ball to our government. But now I’m ready: find out the origin story of the tech villains you love to hate, and who now have an outsized influence on our collective future.

• SEPTEMBER (Date/Time TBA): Justice Under Siege by Mimi Rocah. Mimi is a former federal prosecutor who is writing, in real-time, about the hostile takeover and purge of the Justice Department. We’ll get to talk to her when her book is hot off the presses, just in time to get us fired up for the midterms! (No book cover yet, but you’ll be the first to see it when it’s out!)

• OCTOBER (Date/Time TBA): The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner. I’ve been so excited to read Tim’s book since it came out last fall. His last book on the CIA, Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA (a must-read), chronicled the history and evolution of the agency from its inception during World War II through 9/11. This book picks it up from there to the present day. This will be a great discussion on the past and the future of our foreign intelligence capability.

  

  Subscribe now

This Week’s It’s Complicated Podcast

Renato and I discuss the endgame in Iran and what can be done to rein in Trump — and also retaliation potpourri at the Justice Department:

Share

It’s Complicated is Cruisin’!

Come join me and Renato as we explore the stunning beauty of Alaska and discuss how we can work together to protect our democracy! It’s a small ship, and there will be lots of opportunities to talk to us both, plus we will have an opening and closing reception and dedicated democracy discussion tables throughout the cruise. You can find out more at this link, and fill out your info here to have an agent call you with more information.

Leave a comment

Wherever law ends, tyranny begins.

— John Locke, Second Treatise of Government

In my research into complicity, lawyers make alarmingly frequent appearances as enablers of misconduct. It was a memo written by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel that offered the legal rationale for torture. In the Epstein case, it was the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Florida that cobbled together a sweetheart deal that allowed Epstein to continue his crimes for another eleven years. Lawyers at the Justice Department diluted efforts by the U.S. Attorney to hold Purdue Pharma accountable in the mid-aughts, allowing the company to continue aggressively market Oxycontin as the opioid epidemic exploded. Lawyers tried to bully whistleblowers in the Theranos fraud and silence victims of Harvey Weinstein.

In short, lawyers are often part and parcel of complicit systems — including those that become institutionalized into governments. As we have seen over the past decade, there have been many lawyers that have been actively facilitating the erosion of the rule of law. This is part of a global trend: As details in her book, Strongmen, military coups are out; legal coups are in. (You have to read that in your best Heidi Klum Project Runway voice.) And Professor Kim Lane Scheppele (who I hope will be a guest speaker soon for my Complicity and Courage series) details how electoral autocracies (also called “competitive authoritarianism”) — regimes that have the trappings of democracy, but nothing really behind them, much like a facade on a movie set — all have lawyers at the helm.

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It used to be that at the very least, lawyers — even those working for an in corrupt governments — might be deterred by the prospect of criminal liability. John Mitchell, President Nixon’s attorney general, was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury, and spent nineteen months in prison. But our democracy has a second layer of protection against attorney misconduct: The state bar grievance committees. In Trump 1.0, many of those state bars worked — slowly and not against as many people as we might have liked, but they worked — and ended up disbarring or suspending the license of a number of lawyers who tried to thwart the peaceful transfer of power, including Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, and Kenneth Cheseboro. (Sydney Powell and Jeffrey Clark have been recommended for discipline in their respective jurisdictions.)

Now that the Justice Department itself has been hijacked, criminal liability — at least for misconduct at the federal level — is not a realistic possibility. So the only real accountability that exists at the moment (apart from state crimes) comes from state bar grievance committees, which can investigate complaints and discipline lawyers. That’s why it should worry us that the Justice Department is trying to limit state ethics probes into its lawyers. You can read the proposed rule here.

State bars, in their modern incarnation, began in the 1870s. The American Bar Association (ABA) was founded in 1878, to set a uniform ethics code — but it’s the state bars that determine who can “practice law” within their jurisdictions, set licensing standards (the bar exam), and adjudicate misconduct. As the former dean of admissions at Yale Law School, I was a gateway into the profession and interfaced with many of these bars when students graduated and took the bar. Here’s what I can tell you: States control the admission and discipline of lawyers in their jurisdiction, not the feds. In other words, what the Justice Department is trying to do is not a thing.

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The sudden attempt to try to interfere in state bar grievance processes was oddly coincidental to a report that the State of Florida had initiated an investigation into Lindsay Halligan, the “U.S. Attorney” who had indicted James Comey and Leticia James. Are they related? Unclear. The Florida bar had indicated that Halligan was under investigation in a letter to the Campaign for Accountability, which had filed complaints about Halligan to the Florida and Virginia bars, where Halligan is admitted to practice.

However, yesterday, the Florida bar did a sudden about face, stating that its statement in the earlier letter was an error and that Halligan isn’t under investigation. Which, of course, is itself oddly coincidental coming on the heels of the sudden proposed “rule” by the Justice Department. Hmmm.

It’s pretty clear to me that the lawyers in this administration understands that right now the state bars are the only bodies that can actually impose accountability, and they want to render them impotent. And, since they have no actual power over these state bars, the claim that they will limit the bars’ ethics investigations is, in the pattern of everything else this administration has done — with law firms, universities, and corporations —, a not-so-veiled threat that the state bar associations better get on board.

Looks like it might be working.

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A few resources referenced during the talk:

• The Forbes article from 2018 by Dr. Stein

• My Substack article about the spectrum of complicity

• The ICC FraudNet Global Annual Report 2023

• Trump is now dangerous – that makes his mental health a matter of public interest by Dr. Bandi Lee (2018)

• Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump PhD (2022)

• There's a Horse Loose In The Hospital with John Mulaney (2018)

• And, by request from one of my paid subscribers, I’ve removed the paywall so that more people can watch this important interview.

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If this video offers you a new perspective and lens through which to understand the current moment, then you are benefiting from what The Freedom Academy is trying to do. I hope to help my subscribers learn from the people whose work and stories I am researching by bringing together different kinds of expertise that illuminates our own individual agency and collective potential right now. If that kind of work matters to you, becoming a paid subscriber helps me bring in guests like this and continue to offer unique analysis at the intersection of law, ethics, and national security. I’m grateful to those of you who are already paid subscribers, and I hope that those of you who aren’t will consider a paid subscription if and when your circumstances permit.

You can check out the many upcoming events here!

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Welcome to new subscribers! Scroll down to see the guest speakers, book club authors, and happy hour guests coming up, as well as a link to this week’s It’s Complicated podcast!

The new focus for my Substack has been off to a great start in 2026! If you are new to my Substack, I am doing research for my book, Uncompromised: Activating Your Moral Compass in an Age of Complicity, and using this platform to showcase some of the authors and research I am learning from to understand what makes people complicit in bad behavior, and learning from the people who take a stand against it.

To this end, I’ll be writing free posts on these topics each month, in addition to my weekly Round Ups, on the topics of complicity and courage. Each month I’ll have one person — like a psychologist, professor, leadership expert — explain the science and theory behind complicity and courage. And then I will also bring in a real-time moral rebel who can talk about what led them to take a stand — despite the personal and professional risks they faced (and often still face). Studies show that people are better able to resist pressure and stand up for their beliefs when they can reflect on their own values and see models of moral courage in action, so I hope you will tune in and take some knowledge and inspiration from my guests! (You can find past guests, as well as posts on the topic, under the Complicity & Courage tab on the homepage.)

Zoom links for guest speakers are sent three hours before the event, and the discussions will be recorded and posted for those who cannot make it live. You can always access past guest speakers here and book club authors here.

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THIS WEEK!

• On Complicity: Dr. Alexander Stein, psychoanalyst and expert on ethical decision making, Wednesday, March 4, 1-2 p.m. EST. I came across Dr. Stein on my friend and colleague ’s Substack and have had the fortune of talking with him about his work for my book. Psychological perspectives are central to making sense of what’s going on today and I am VERY excited to have a conversation about “complicit ecosystems,” why people gravitate to wrongdoing, choose cruelty over care, and the importance of empathy. You won’t want to miss this!

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Coming Up:

• On Courage: Alexander Vindman, author of the Why It Matters Substack and Here, Right Matters: An American Story, Monday, March 16, 12-1 p.m. EDT. Alex was one of the first people in Trump 1.0 to really step forward and speak truth to power as a star witness in Trump’s first impeachment trial. I am excited to talk with him about that experience and his journey from that point to running for the Senate in Florida!

• On Complicity: Max Bazerman, Harvard Business School professor and author of Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do About It and Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop, (Thursday, April 2, 1-2 p.m. EDT). I have drawn from both of these books by Professor Bazerman and I am excited to talk to him about how the lessons he has drawn for the business context relate to our politics.

• On Courage: Moran, former Senior National Correspondent at ABC News and now author of the Substack, (Thursday, April 23, 2026, 3 p.m. EDT). I always loved being on ABC News when Terry was hosting because of his thoughtful analysis of the news of the day. But I am even more excited to have him on to talk about how the media is responding to the authoritarian threat and his own experience speaking the blunt truth (and paying a price for it).

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The Freedom Academy Book Club

In the past I have typically done a book selection every quarter, but I am going to get more ambitious for 2026 and try to do one each month — too many interesting books and cool authors! Check out the selections below:

• MARCH (Tuesday, March 24, 3-4 p.m. EDT): 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England, and a Nazi in Patagonia by Philippe Sands. Philippe reached out to me after my appearance on Ezra Klein’s podcast last spring, because I compared the removal of Kilmar Albrego Garcia to Chile in 1973. His gripping account of Pinochet’s indictment for crimes against humanity and extradition to Spain and its thru line from Nuremberg, are important lessons for today. Not to mention that the legal issues surrounding head of state immunity are more pertinent than ever in light of Maduro (and God knows what other leaders the U.S. will rendition in the coming weeks and months).

• APRIL (Thursday, April 30, 1-2 p.m. EDT): Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy by , author of Substack. This book talk is waaaaaay overdue, but Joyce has been on the road since her bestseller came out so I am happy to grab her when I can! I know we will all need a civic pep talk and pick me up in April…plus we will have changed the clocks by then so things will already feel more hopeful. I truly can’t wait for this discussion!

• MAY (Thursday, May 28, 5-6 p.m. EDT): Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by . I know that as we approach SCOTUS decision season we will need an expert guide to help us make sense of rulings that have come down and what to expect on the ones still pending! I am so excited to talk with University of Michigan Law Professor Leah Litman about how the Supreme Court has gone off the rails and what (if anything) we can do about it.

• JUNE (Date/Time TBA): The Voter File by . David has been a guest several times on my Substack but this time we will be talking about his prescient novel! The Voter File came out in 2020 and is a story about how elections can be manipulated if someone can get their hands on…you got it, the voter file. Well, guess what? The Trump administration is trying to get their hands on…states’ voter files. Life imitates art, I guess (David’s first novel, published in 2016, was about Russian election interference.) This will be a terrifying beach read with real world implications!

• JULY (Date/Time TBA): One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps by Andrea Pritzker. Is it OK to call the warehouses being built across the U.S. as “concentration camps”? Andrea Pritzker knows the answer (and it’s yes). There has, sadly, never been a more important time to learn the history of how this form of human internment and political repression was developed and how it has evolved. (I picked July so at least the weather is nice when we’re reading it — better than in winter when it gets dark at 4 p.m. and you’re already depressed.)

  

• AUGUST (Date/Time TBA): The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni. This book has been on my nightstand forever…to be honest, though, I couldn’t bring myself to read it last year, when Elon Musk was still taking a wrecking ball to our government. But now I’m ready: find out the origin story of the tech villains you love to hate, and who now have an outsized influence on our collective future.

• SEPTEMBER (Date/Time TBA): Justice Under Siege by Mimi Rocah. Mimi is a former federal prosecutor who is writing, in real-time, about the hostile takeover and purge of the Justice Department. We’ll get to talk to her when her book is hot off the presses, just in time to get us fired up for the midterms! (No book cover yet, but you’ll be the first to see it when it’s out!)

• OCTOBER (Date/Time TBA): The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner. I’ve been so excited to read Tim’s book since it came out last fall. His last book on the CIA, Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA (a must-read), chronicled the history and evolution of the agency from its inception during World War II through 9/11. This book picks it up from there to the present day. This will be a great discussion on the past and the future of our foreign intelligence capability.

  

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This Week’s It’s Complicated Podcast

Renato and I discuss the Supreme Court’s tariff decision and…Loose Cannon strikes again!

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My panels, TV appearances, and speeches this (and last) week:

• I joined MSNOW legal eagles for a panel with the Network for Responsible Public Policy on “Justice or Politics? Examining the DOJ”:

• I joined PBS to discussed Kash Patel going full frat-bro with the U.S. men’s hockey team:

• I was so energized speaking at STATE OF THE SWAMP, the rebuttal event to Trump’s State of the Union, in Washington, D.C.! Watch all of the amazing and inspirational speeches here:

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It’s Complicated is Cruisin’!

Come join me and Renato as we explore the stunning beauty of Alaska and discuss how we can work together to protect our democracy! It’s a small ship, and there will be lots of opportunities to talk to us both, plus we will have an opening and closing reception and dedicated democracy discussion tables throughout the cruise. You can find out more at this link, and fill out your info here to have an agent call you with more information.

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I have to be honest, this was my first “rally-style event” in which I was giving remarks, so I was nervous! It’s simple, but hopefully gets the message across. (Video below, I start at 1:05.)

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I defy the idea that cruelty makes a country strong.

Tonight, we just heard a lot of talk about strength.

“Strong borders.”
”Strong leaders.”
”Strong America.”

But I’m here to say this as someone who spent years enforcing the law of this country:

There is nothing strong about abandoning the rule of law.

Because the rule of law is not just a set of rules.
It’s a moral promise.

And here’s the part that often gets lost:

The rule of law only survives if ordinary people have moral courage.

Not dramatic courage.
Not movie-scene courage.

The everyday kind.

The courage to say, this isn’t right.
The courage to refuse to go along.
The courage to see other people as fully human.

And here’s the part I want us to sit with tonight:

The root of moral courage is empathy.

Do you know what Elon Musk said?
He said “the problem is that there is too much empathy.”
I say there is not enough.

Empathy is what stops us from treating people as enemies instead of neighbors.
Empathy is what stops the law from becoming a weapon.
Empathy is what reminds us that power exists to protect the vulnerable—not to punish them.

Authoritarians understand this better than anyone.

They know that if they can drain empathy from a society,
they can hollow out its laws from the inside.

So they tell us to fear one another.
They tell us some people don’t belong.
They tell us cruelty is strength.

But cruelty is not strength.

Cruelty is what happens when empathy disappears.
And when empathy disappears, the rule of law is next.

I’ve seen this up close.

The most dangerous moments are not when laws are broken loudly—
but when they’re bent quietly, justified politely,
and obeyed without question.

History teaches us this again and again:

The greatest harms are not carried out by monsters.
They are carried out by regular people
who convince themselves they have no choice,
that it’s not their responsibility,
that someone else will speak up.

Moral courage is refusing that lie.

It’s choosing empathy when obedience would be easier.
It’s choosing principle when silence would be safer.

And here’s the good news—because there is good news:

Empathy is contagious.
Courage is contagious.
Democracy is contagious.

Every time someone says “no,”
it gets easier for the next person to say it too.

So tonight, in response to fear, we choose empathy.
In response to lies, we choose truth.
In response to power without conscience, we choose the rule of law.

Not because it’s easy.
Not because it’s comfortable.

But because it’s who we are.

Because democracy doesn’t defend itself.

We do.

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I suspect that many of you, like me, have been haunted by the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a 56 year-old blind Rohingya refugee in Buffalo who was found dead several days after he had been released from federal custody.

This has been largely framed as yet another story of the negligence, if not outright wanton cruelty, of ICE — and there is certainly more than enough that we know, even as many questions remain unanswered, to warrant that accusation. But as someone who is now looking at these kinds of events through the lens of complicity, it’s important not to ignore the layers of failed responsibility that even brought Shah Alam to that point. Like most examples of systemic harm, this story involves a number of critical decision points, any one of which could have potentially led to a different ending.

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First, the facts: Shah Alam and his family are Arakan Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar that the US government has said was subjected to genocide. Shah Alam and his wife and children came to the U.S. in December 2024 and were granted refugee status. According to his son, Mohamad Faisal, in February 2025 Shah Alam had taken a walk using a curtain rod as a walking stick. He got lost and wandered onto private property. The homeowner called the police, reporting that he had damaged their shed door and had allowed their dog to escape. Two female officers arrived on the scene, saw him holding the rod, and ordered him to drop it or they would use their stun guns on him. Shah Alam responded, “OK sorry” several times as he walked towards the officers, but did not drop the rod. His son said he did not understand the command and also could not see them properly: Shah Alam is seen on body camera video waving the rod and speaking in a foreign language. The officers fired their stun guns and tackled him to the ground, punching him in the head several times as they restrained him. The police report states that the officers suffered minor injuries because Shah Alam bit them.

Following his arrest, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office indicted Shah Alam on felony assault, burglary, and criminal mischief charges, and Border Patrol placed a federal immigration detainer on Shah Alam in the event that he was released from custody. His bail was originally set at $25,000 and later reduced to $5,000, but his family initially declined to post bail because they were afraid that he would be immediately transferred into immigration custody. So he stayed in jail for a year. Earlier this month, Shah Alam pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges — criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and criminal trespass in the third degree — and was set to be sentenced in March. After being informed that he would not be deported if released, the family posted bond. While Shah Alam was being processed for release on February 19, Erie County police contacted Border Patrol (because of the immigration detainer), which took him into custody. Border Patrol later determined that Shah Alam was not subject to removal because he was a legal refugee. So they drove him to a Tim Horton’s at 8 p.m. and left him there, even though the coffee shop had closed at 7 p.m. It was raining and cold and Shah Alam was still wearing the prison booties he was issued in jail. He was found dead five days later, and the cause of death has not yet been released.

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Hindsight is 20/20, but it’s worth examining each decisional step, what assumptions were made that allowed the situation to escalate, and some questions that might have been worth at least asking at each one.

Decision 1: The Homeowner

I think it’s important to start here, because it was an individual call that set the system in motion — and it’s a good reminder that any of us can set similar wheels turning as well, perhaps not even aware of what happens after we do.

On the one hand, the impulse to call the police is understandable. It’s not clear where the homeowner first saw Shah Alam, but if a stranger appears on your property, calling the police may feel like the safest option. But it is also an illustration of how quickly we default to law enforcement as the first and only tool. It’s hard for me to believe that the interpretation of the scene as a threat wasn’t shaped by implicit bias, because he looked different.

It also appears that the homeowner immediately reported it as a threat — someone who was damaging property, which of course shaped the frame of mind in which the police arrived. Was there any room here to assess differently? To assume confusion? To at least say, ‘I’m not sure if he’s lost or what?’ Curiosity or some self-questioning could have made a difference.

Decision 2: The Arrest

Again, here we can give some benefit of the doubt to a degree, if the report to the police was that someone was on the property with a weapon, and posing a threat. But here is where discretion and deescalation could potentially have been an option if the officers could have recognized that there was a cultural barrier in the encounter.

These things can unfold quickly, so perhaps that was not possible in the confusion. However, once Shah Alam was restrained, there was then the additional decision to arrest him. Was there a point — even after he was in custody and they had a chance to get an interpreter — to recognize potential confusion? Was there any consideration not to arrest him, but return him to his family with a warning, a ticket, or anything less draconian?

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Decision 3: The Indictment

Here’s where I start to get mad.

It’s one thing for individuals to escalate because of reactions in a fast-moving and potentially confusing situation. But when the report lands on the D.A.’s desk, it’s no longer in that phase. There is time for reflection, deliberation, and prosecutorial discretion. Perhaps there are important facts missing from this story that warrant these charges. But based on what has been reported, I am utterly baffled on why this prosecutor chose to prosecute Shah Alam with three felony charges. Really?? (According to The New York Times, the D.A., Michael Keane, kindly plans to dismiss all criminal charges once he receives Shah Alam’s death certificate. Seems a little late for that.1)

Decision 4: The Transfer

This is where the immigration context shapes decision making. Even though the family had the means to post bond, they had to make a choice between doing so and having Shah Alam potentially disappearing into the federal immigration system, or letting him stay there. The statement from the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo indicates that even they were not sure what would happen, due to the “uncertainty of the immigration climate” and had to bring in an outside immigration lawyer as a consultant. I don’t blame the family for keeping Shah Alam where he was.

And perhaps the state police had no choice but to transfer Shah Alam to ICE. But here’s where the moral responsibility is unmistakable. The detention facility presumably had a translator for Shah Alam, as well as some way to monitor his medical conditions, during his YEAR in jail. They also had some basic information on his family, because family members visited Shah Alam while he was in detention. So when they decided to process his release…did they even notify them that Shah Alam was being transferred to federal custody? Did they provide any of the family’s contact information, or information about his condition, to Border Patrol??

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Decision 5: The Release

And so finally we get to where he is in Border Patrol’s custody. Here is the account from the feds, according to CNN:

Using a translation program, agents attempted to communicate with Shah Alam, according to a federal law enforcement official. Shah Alam was offered the opportunity to make a phone call, but declined, and asked to be taken to the location where he was eventually dropped off, the official said.

‘Border Patrol agents offered him a courtesy ride, which he chose to accept to a coffee shop, determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station. He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance,’ the CBP statement said.

Border Patrol is implying that they did Shah Alam some kind of favor — as opposed to having a duty of care after having taken him into custody. Were they not able to find a next of kin number from the state police? Did they not see that the Tim Horton’s was closed?? Did they notice that HE MIGHT NEED SOME SHOES?

At my speech earlier this week in D.C., I talked about the relationship between the rule of law and empathy. You can’t have the former without the latter — and Shah Alam’s case shows what happens when they are separated:

1. The homeowner was just protecting their property.

2. The officers were just responding to a call.

3. The prosecutor was just enforcing the law.

4. The state officials were just cooperating with federal authorities.

5. Border Patrol were just offering a “courtesy ride.”

Each person had a reason. Perhaps they were even required by law. But Shah Alam’s death was the cumulative result of many decisions, and questions never asked — the most basic one being:

Who is the human being in front of me?

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Welcome to new subscribers! Scroll down to see the guest speakers, book club authors, and happy hour guests coming up, as well as a link to this week’s It’s Complicated podcast!

The new focus for my Substack has been off to a great start in 2026! If you are new to my Substack, I am doing research for my book, Uncompromised: Activating Your Moral Compass in an Age of Complicity, and using this platform to showcase some of the authors and research I am learning from to understand what makes people complicit in bad behavior, and learning from the people who take a stand against it.

To this end, I’ll be writing free posts on these topics each month, in addition to my weekly Round Ups, on the topics of complicity and courage. Each month I’ll have one person — like a psychologist, professor, leadership expert — explain the science and theory behind complicity and courage. And then I will also bring in a real-time moral rebel who can talk about what led them to take a stand — despite the personal and professional risks they faced (and often still face). Studies show that people are better able to resist pressure and stand up for their beliefs when they can reflect on their own values and see models of moral courage in action, so I hope you will tune in and take some knowledge and inspiration from my guests! (You can find past guests, as well as posts on the topic, under the Complicity & Courage tab on the homepage.)

Zoom links for guest speakers are sent three hours before the event, and the discussions will be recorded and posted for those who cannot make it live. You can always access past guest speakers here and book club authors here.

Subscribe now

THIS WEEK!

• FEBRUARY (Thursday, February 26, 2026, 5-6 p.m. EST): Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York’s Explosive ‘80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation, by Elliot Williams. Want to know how the trajectories of Al Sharpton, Rudy Giuliani, and Rupert Murdoch intersected forty years ago, shaping our views of race and crime today? Elliot, a former federal prosecutor and CNN legal analyst, will explain it all. I’ve already started his book and am riveted!

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Coming Up:

• On Complicity: Dr. Alexander Stein, psychoanalyst and expert on ethical decision making, Wednesday, March 4, 1-2 p.m. EST. I came across Dr. Stein on my friend and colleague ’s Substack and have had the fortune of talking with him about his work for my book. I am VERY excited to have a conversation about “complicit ecosystems,” the importance of empathy, and why people choose to go down paths they know are wrong.

• On Courage: Alexander Vindman, author of the Why It Matters Substack and Here, Right Matters: An American Story, Monday, March 16, 12-1 p.m. EDT. Alex was one of the first people in Trump 1.0 to really step forward and speak truth to power as a star witness in Trump’s first impeachment trial. I am excited to talk with him about that experience and his journey from that point to running for the Senate in Florida!

• On Complicity: Max Bazerman, Harvard Business School professor and author of Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do About It and Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop, (Date/Time TBA). I have drawn from both of these books by Professor Bazerman and I am excited to talk to him about how the lessons he has drawn for the business context relate to our politics.

• On Courage: Moran, former Senior National Correspondent at ABC News and now author of the Substack, (Thursday, April 23, 2026, 3 p.m. EDT). I always loved being on ABC News when Terry was hosting because of his thoughtful analysis of the news of the day. But I am even more excited to have him on to talk about how the media is responding to the authoritarian threat and his own experience speaking the blunt truth (and paying a price for it).

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The Freedom Academy Book Club

In the past I have typically done a book selection every quarter, but I am going to get more ambitious for 2026 and try to do one each month — too many interesting books and cool authors! Check out the selections below:

• MARCH (Tuesday, March 24, 3-4 p.m. EDT): 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England, and a Nazi in Patagonia by Philippe Sands. Philippe reached out to me after my appearance on Ezra Klein’s podcast last spring, because I compared the removal of Kilmar Albrego Garcia to Chile in 1973. His gripping account of Pinochet’s indictment for crimes against humanity and extradition to Spain and its thru line from Nuremberg, are important lessons for today. Not to mention that the legal issues surrounding head of state immunity are more pertinent than ever in light of Maduro (and God knows what other leaders the U.S. will rendition in the coming weeks and months).

• APRIL (Thursday, April 30, 1-2 p.m. EDT): Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy by , author of Substack. This book talk is waaaaaay overdue, but Joyce has been on the road since her bestseller came out so I am happy to grab her when I can! I know we will all need a civic pep talk and pick me up in April…plus we will have changed the clocks by then so things will already feel more hopeful. I truly can’t wait for this discussion!

• MAY (Thursday, May 28, 5-6 p.m. EDT): Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by . I know that as we approach SCOTUS decision season we will need an expert guide to help us make sense of rulings that have come down and what to expect on the ones still pending! I am so excited to talk with University of Michigan Law Professor Leah Litman about how the Supreme Court has gone off the rails and what (if anything) we can do about it.

• JUNE (Date/Time TBA): The Voter File by . David has been a guest several times on my Substack but this time we will be talking about his prescient novel! The Voter File came out in 2020 and is a story about how elections can be manipulated if someone can get their hands on…you got it, the voter file. Well, guess what? The Trump administration is trying to get their hands on…states’ voter files. Life imitates art, I guess (David’s first novel, published in 2016, was about Russian election interference.) This will be a terrifying beach read with real world implications!

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This Week’s It’s Complicated Podcast

Renato and I discuss a Fifth Circuit ruling that might not have been on your radar, which would allow people to be locked up indefinitely, with no recourse. (Have you wondered why they are building so many concentration camps?) We also discuss the latest shenanigans at the Justice Department:

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My interviews and events this week:

• I was interviewed for Ms. Magazine for their series on Redefining Power: How Indian American Women Are Rewriting the Rules of Leadership, Identity and Care. Read the interview here.

• I was honored to be a part of the New York City Bar Association’s event honoring with honorary membership, and to participate in the panel on “The Rule of Law and the American Judiciary in 2026.” Watch the event here:

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Public Events:

• I’m excited to announce that I will be speaking at STATE OF THE SWAMP, the rebuttal event to Trump’s State of the Union, on February 24 in Washington, D.C.! Use my personal discount code FROGFRIEND15 to get 15% off. Just for you. Buy tickets HERE.

It’s Complicated is Cruisin’!

Come join me and Renato as we explore the stunning beauty of Alaska and discuss how we can work together to protect our democracy! It’s a small ship, and there will be lots of opportunities to talk to us both, plus we will have an opening and closing reception and dedicated democracy discussion tables throughout the cruise. You can find out more at this link, and fill out your info here to have an agent call you with more information.

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