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: Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn (Thursday, May 7, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ). 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!

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Coming Up:

• NEW! Ministers of Defense (Mechanisms), Monday, May 11, 1-2 p.m. EDT: Dr. Alexander Stein is back! We will be building on his talk in March on how Trump uses abusive psychodynamics to keep people in his orbit (and the country) under his control to discuss how various defense mechanisms are manifesting in this administration. Dr. Stein has been an indispensable resource for me into my research into complicity, and I hope you will join for what is sure to be a fascinating discussion!

• On Complicity (and Courage): Professor Kim Lane Scheppele, Professor at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (Monday, May 18, 2 -3 p.m.). Project 2025 mirrored the tactics used by Orban in Hungary (his team literally helped them write it)…and things didn’t turn out so well. Professor Scheppele is THE person to help break down Hungary’s secret sauce in its last election, and how we here can replicate it.

I am confirming more speakers through the summer so watch this space!

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:

• 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: The publication date for Mimi’s book has been pushed back, so stay tuned as I am lining up another book for this month!

• 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!

Subscribe now

My Clips This Week:

I joined Ana Cabrera on MSNOW earlier this week to discuss the indictment against James Comey.

This Week’s It’s Complicated Podcast:

Renato and I discuss the latest insanity from the Justice Department, as exhibited by the indictment against James Comey for posting a photo of seashells on his Instagram account. We also discuss the aftermath of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner assassination attempt, including Trump’s unhinged court filings:

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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!

• THIS WEEK! Thursday, April 30, 1-2 p.m. EDT: Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy by , author of Substack. Many of you noted the optimism in my post from yesterday — I think I was largely influenced by the hope in Joyce’s book, which I have been reading in preparation for this talk. I have been waiting for this talk for a long time, and I hope you will join us!

  

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Coming Up:

• On Courage: Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn (Thursday, May 7, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ). 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!

• On Complicity: Professor Kim Lane Scheppele, Professor at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (Monday, May 18, 2 -3 p.m.). Project 2025 mirrored the tactics used by Orban in Hungary (his team literally helped them write it)…and things didn’t turn out so well. Professor Scheppele is THE person to help break down Hungary’s secret sauce in its last election, and how we here can replicate it.

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:

• 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!

Subscribe now

My Clips This Week:

I joined MSNOW’s Ana Cabrera to discuss the SPLC indictment:

This Week’s It’s Complicated Podcast:

Renato and I discuss the Justice Department’s indictment against the SPLC, which tries to paint the storied civil rights organization that exposes right-wing hate groups as on that provides material support to terrorism. We also examine FBI Director’s defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and the chaos behind the Justice Department’s efforts to bring a case against former CIA Director John Brennan:

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

One of the fun things about writing about complicity is that everyone, it seems, is interested in the topic. When I tell people about my book topic, they are invariably intrigued — which means that they often ping me with “have you seen this?” along with a link to articles, speeches, books, podcasts, etc. (Thanks to all of you who have done that! About 80% of the time it’s something that was not on my radar, and I love new sources and research and case studies, so keep ‘em coming.)

Recently, at a dinner at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit, I sat a few seats away from a woman whom I didn’t get to speak to, but who overheard me talking about the book. She literally tracked me down and suggested a podcast called In Bed With the Right — and particularly a sub-series on the podcast called “Project 1933.” The podcast hosts decided to do this series last year, soon after Trump was inaugurated. The idea was to understand how ordinary people experienced the rapid consolidation of power during Gleichshaltung — the “forced synchronization” of all institutions and civil society with Nazi ideology following Hitler’s ascension as chancellor on January 30, 1933 — month by month, for a year.

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It’s quite well done, and is a fascinating approach in that they draw a lot from contemporaneous sources, like people’s diaries, to understand how impacted individuals interpreted what they were seeing around them — remembering, of course, that in that moment, they, unlike us, were unaware of the very, very dark place where the trajectory would take them. And indeed, looking back on our own experience in 2025, in the immediate aftermath of Trump’s inauguration, it’s hard not to see the parallels: the administration’s attempts to bring universities, law firms, and the media to heel; the punishing of critics (like the firings for people who dared say anything about Charlie Kirk after his murder); and the unleashing of the ICE terror campaign. (Frankly, one has to wonder whether the architects behind Trump’s first 100 days had a specific model in mind.) I could imagine if you were listening to the pod last year as they were describing what was happening in Germany ninety-two years before, you’d be kind of freaked out.

A year later, though, it feels very different. Not that we are out of the woods regarding the danger to our democracy, or that there hasn’t been a LOT of damage done to it, but there is a sort of womp womp vibe to the whole effort by the Trump regime to establish authoritarian control. So listening to the pod now actually makes me reflect on important differences between America 2026 (and even later in 2025) and Germany 1933 which I think has made us more resilient. A few of them are as follows:

1. We’re Aware of the Stakes

In a lot of ways how ordinary people responded to 1933 seems to me more like how people responded to Trump in 2015. They just didn’t take him seriously. They were confused by how this fringy and clownish movement could gain power. And they assumed that once in power, institutions would hold. We did the same with Trump leading up to, and after, his election in 2016. And to our great fortune, between a combination of his own ignorance of the breadth of power he had and the presence of some relatively normal (“normal”) people around him, he was largely prevented from doing the worst (though by January 2021, he got there).

We know, of course, that Trump and his MAGA circle learned from that term, and also had four years to plan to do differently. But they also advertised it for all the world to see. Granted, we weren’t quite prepared for DOGE or immediately defying court orders or the blatant retaliatory EOs, and they caught us off-guard…temporarily. But the various culture wars, while riling up the MAGA base, also made clear that going in to 2025, we were in an existential fight for our democracy, and for either an exclusive or inclusive vision of America. The Supreme Court’s immunity decision also made it crystal clear that there were no real guardrails this time around. That foreknowledge matters — and it’s why we were already ready with a phalanx of lawyers, people ready to protest nationwide, and some media and commentators (like the Project 1933 podcast itself) offering clarity on what was happening.

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2. Our Democratic Values Are Baked In

One thing I hadn’t really appreciated until I listened to the pod was how briefly the German experience with democracy under the Weimar Republic was. The timespan from the end of the Kaiser Republic and the Nazis’ takeover was only fifteen years. And during that time, it seems like most people were not impressed with democracy — in episode 4, the hosts of the pod call pre-1933 Germany “a traumatized society” emerging from a world war with social fissures, a sense of national grievance, acute unemployment, and a number of other severe structural and systemic issues. Anti-democratic sentiment was more pervasive, increasing the general receptiveness to a strongman.

The MAGA movement is, without a doubt, antidemocratic, and it has been a surprisingly stubborn wart on our body politic for the past decade. But honestly I think this hard-core group is only (“only”) 25-30% of our population. Not something we can ignore, but a minority. This country has had its ups and downs and has yet to realize its full potential as a democracy, but I truly believe that the vast majority of people in the U.S., partisan affiliations aside, actually want one and care about democratic values. I think we see that in the waning support for Trump, the pushback against the ICE raids, and the election wins. As we approach America’s 250th birthday, I think more people will be reminded of what really makes this country great, and we aren’t giving them up anytime soon.

3. Our Institutions and Constitution Still Work

Bear with me, here. Yes, they have been crippled, and some of them, like the Justice Department, are on life support. But I think it’s important to remember that the institutional and constitutional levers of accountability still exist and work. To wit: We still have the capacity and infrastructure to, among other things: bring righteous prosecutions; conduct congressional oversight; bring articles of impeachment; fight back on redistricting efforts; and have judicial review of the administration’s actions. The problem is that many of the people in control of many of these levers — like Congress and SCOTUS — are abusing their power or refusing to utilize these mechanisms.

You might think this is a distinction without a difference: What good are institutions and levers of power if the people in control of them won’t act, or act antidemocratically? I don’t disagree that it’s a problem, and one that we will need to address both at the ballot box and in some kind of reconstruction period when this is all over. But it is a far cry from a formal elimination of checks and balances, complete elimination of oversight, and the handing of total and arbitrary power to one person. We still hold the power.

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4. We Have Instantaneous Communication

One of the very clear patterns I have observed among the central wrongdoers in any complicity system — whether it’s a corporate CEO, a sex predator, or a dictator — is that they operate through secrecy, compartmentalization of information, and the use of lies and propaganda to shape reality. This was clearly an advantage for the Nazis in 1933: People were atomized and just didn’t have any way of immediately knowing what was happening to their friends and neighbors or in other parts of their country. This opacity made it easier to whisk away political opponents and dissidents to prisons and initial concentration camps like Dachau. Modern communications technology can make this kind of government gaslighting easier — indeed, for those who have delved into my Substack course, information warfare is the cheap weapon of choice for authoritarians.

But two can play at this game. As Kranzberg’s First Law of Technology states, “Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral.” Part of what this administration has been unable to counter is the immediate transparency into things like ICE abductions and shootings. New and independent media is covering things that Trump-captured networks won’t. And the administration has also been thwarted in its efforts to construct detention facilities around the country. My friend (one of my initial speakers for my Complicity and Courage series!) at just launched a new rapid response initiative called GTFO — ICE (Get the Facilities Out) which allows you to sign up and immediately be notified if ICE is attempting to open a prison camp in your backyard. We may be being watched, but we are watching right back.

5. It’s Really Hard to Get Rid of Political Opponents

We currently have front row seats to Trump’s revenge tour against his enemies. It’s been disconcerting to watch, but let’s face it, it’s not going so well. That’s because Trump can’t just round up or eliminate his opponents, as much as I’m sure he’d like to. He has to go through the criminal justice system, which actually puts up meaningful roadblocks, like due process and judicial oversight (see #3, above). Womp womp.

Though they may not realize it, this is good news for people like Vance and Rubio and any other GOP contender who aspires to the presidency in 2028. I just finished the fourth installment of the Project 1933 series which discusses the rise of the Nazi brownshirts (the Sturmabteilung, or SA). They note that only a year later, on the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler had the leaders of the organization executed. (If you watch PBS’s The Dictator’s Playbook, you’ll know that eliminating threats to your power from the inner circle is a common authoritarian tactic, one employed by Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein, and others.) Now, technically, Trump could order Seal Team Six to assassinate anyone he likes, and there would be no legal accountability for it. But even as low as we’ve sunk, I don’t think he really has that level of power, and clearly he doesn’t, either (if he did, he would have used it by now). It’s hanging by a thread, but we are still a nation of laws. Mostly.

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I realize that “Hey, it’s not as bad as 1933 Germany!” is a low bar for hope. And to be clear, I’m not trying to sugarcoat the absolute s***show that is our democracy right now, nor am I suggesting that we need to be complacent. But compared to where we thought we were a year ago, our democracy is not in free fall.

What happens next isn’t inevitable, and where we go from here is up to us.

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Join us as we discuss the responsibility of journalists and media in this moment to speak the unvarnished truth.

Please join at the following Zoom link at 3:00 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 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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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:

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

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.

Share

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, 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:

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

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!

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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:

• 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

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!

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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.

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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