Here in gw theater, we will. Thank you very much for coming. We do a number of events each year here at gw, and this great auditorium and then a couple of other menus, we really value a partnership with gw, here is terrific and then make events like this possible. I just want to express our gratitude for the efforts that they put into it tonight his if it. Our featured authors this evening of course is josh campbell, spent more than a decade as an fbi, and various roles involving terrorism and kidnapping investigations in multiple oversees of assignments as well as assent as a special assistant to then fbi director james comey. Josh resigned from the bureau about a year and half ago in february 2018, walking out of the doors of the Fbi Field Office in los angeles for the last time. Away from service in Law Enforcement that he had really enjoyed. He says played an Important Role in his own career development. He says he left because he no longer could stand silently by in the face of a Relentless Campaign by donald trump and the political allies of his. To undermine and discredit the fbi. These days josh appears on cnn reporting on and commenting about Law Enforcement issues. He describes his own political leanings as middleoftheroad. Noting that he is supported both republicans and democrats. His new book, crossed by a hurricane. It isnt even out yet. Yall are i can take a real jump on it. Its official releases tomorrow. Its really unusual to be holding an if it this early. Its definitely the world premiere. The title crossfire hurricane, comes from the fbi codename for the initial investigation in the trump campaigns ties to russia. That codename intern is taken from the Rolling Stone song jumping jack flash. In the book josh retraces the early days of the Russian Investigation. Trying both on his firsthand experience and also his reporting from sources some of whom are within the fbi still. He provides a very informative behind the scenes account with adds to the public his understanding of the fbi and the pro into rushers effort to tilt the u. S. Political process. Now josh is reluctant and profiting from the story he tells and has announced that half his earnings from the book will go to a fund established by the fbi agents association. That Fund Supports the families of agents killed in the line of duty and covers the elliptic expenses of their surviving children. [applause] as an added attract this evening, but will be in conversation here with james comey. The director comey was just staying backstage he rarely does events like this. This may be the first time hes actually been in conversation with another author which gives you a sense of his regard for josh. He of course wrote his own book the higher loyalty just published nearly a year and half ago. Not only retract counting the highlights of his distinguished peer career but also seeking to promote discussion about Ethical Leadership and our nations whole values. Core values. Ladies and gentlemen please we will me in joining both josh and mr. Coleman. [applause] josh privilege. Hes really tall as me. [laughter] that is wally ngo. Names i still remember. There, dogs encumber docs for the fbi. Theyve done so much good for so many people who suffered mass shootings, terrible things that have happened, those dogs have brought peace to hundreds and hundreds of people. So thats we want to be the first. When we have the they were here first. You all look great the way. [laughter]. We will to Josh Campbells book if it. I will be the interviewer tonight nothing interviewed me ive never done this before and i dont know many people i would do it for except josh campbell. So let me start with first off congratulations on book. Its not out. [laughter] another 12 hours. Me start with a softball. As i survey your career. I see something of a pattern. I see that you work closely with me and i was trashed by the trump and fired. I see work closely with anna mccabe who was trashed by the drug and been fired. I also know that you work closely with bob bullard, who came close to be getting tired. The fact i was definitely trashed and so my first question is are you the problem . [laughter] [applause] scenic are they all going to be like this . [laughter] starting at the beginning, tell the folks how you ended up in the fbi. A little bit about yourself and your story. First thank everybody for being here. My first book in person this, am glad you know all part of it even more special that this is happening before the actual release. So things were coming out. Thank you for your support. Question inside the fbi. My career started in earnest on september 11th 2001. And i was a College Freshman at the university of texas in austin. Id been just over a week into my college career, when the attacks happened and up to that. , i thought i was going into the foreign service. That was my goal at that. Was to work in Foreign Policy to surf as a diplomat in the state department. Watching the events occur on a day, like so many of us made me feel very diplomatic. At that moment hand are right that in the book a little bit just kind of that calculus. As i watched the if it take place in the response. I was really focused on the First Responders and the aftermath. The fbi agents. They were trying to deal with what had just occurred and trying to investigate what just happened. In trying to bring to justice anyone who may have been associated with that. Obviously we all have a reaction but that was an immediate change for me as far as what i wanted to do. Career wise. I oriented, especially everything about my college career, towards the fbi, the fbi has College Intern program that theyve pitched all of the student year. In a junior college, they have people come here to the uber building and you know able to experience the fbi. Each division at the time got to send an intern and i was fortunate enough and honored enough to be picked. I came and spent the summer with the abi. I immediately fell in love with it. I was fortunate to come back after graduating thats how it all started. C1 20 cohen became a special agent in what year. I started in the bureau than on agent role working with more as you mentioned and then in 2008, went to the academy for this new agent training and graduated in august of 2008 and then into the field. Breakaway people can move into this. Come in as a non agent role and move into an agent role. First assignment was to los angeles. I write in the book that graduation i was fortunate enough to be asked for to be classic are. I represent the class. I was supposed to speak before bob muller was seated in an area just like this. Going in, i wanted to describe fbi his mission, since i had the opportunity to work the director his office, him speak numerous times. I decided to quote him in my speech. I didnt think through what i used was some of his greatest hits. As im giving the speech i turned to look at him and theres this glare. [laughter] and is marking out so that was great. [laughter] 70f to the podium, after the speech, had this kind of mythical status the embrace as a tyrant. As i started off and said some of you may not know that josh used to work for me the Directors Office and he says i told him that if he screwed up his class speech, his first assignment would not be to los angeles but to yemen. [laughter] are elected going to yemen. Los angeles was the first office thankfully. It was a great experience. What was great about the bureau and was less right. What met your expectations and what did it. The great part was easy and is the people. And this just not a throwaway line. Its really different. I worked for places before the bureau. I went to a law firm and you meet people that they do good things they do good work that is used to mention, transmission, these people who dedicate their lives to the mission. That was special. I saw that from the very beginning. The moment i began as an intern and throughout the organization. What is interesting is that its like any company, there are people that you think how did that guy get in here. And on every squad fbi across the field, there was always that one person i was thinking how did that person get in here. Maybe that person was me. [laughter] scratch that. But it really was a great place. The people who can get up every day, and do it for the money. They do it for the mission. Thus protecting the American People and upholding the constitution of the united states. Not to fast forward is it too far but i do want to add one caveat to the intro there. What i do know, the fbi in defending the fbi people. I do want to. Out to to all of us know. What i do now its not in defense of the fbi or in defense of fbi people, is at times defending our institutions of justice from unfair political attacks. Which is a lot different than defending agency, the fbi can defend itself. They screw stuff up just like any agency. And they are held to account. I think its important to. That out. Overall, any of you have the opportunity to meet someone who is with the fbi, youll notice Something Different and i think is that orientation or in the mission. What frustrated you about the break bureau. [laughter] we have anything. [laughter] it was nut job i heard. [laughter] [applause] a sale like a direct quote read [laughter] its not a copout but there is a typical thing, the hours were sometimes crazy. I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time over international team, that worked a lot of cases of disease. Just like anything else, you are dealing with bureaucracy. There is a colleague of mine in the audience i know who i wont name was been with me overseas a lot on these missions. Maybe halfway around the globe and we get a call from some 202 number and fbi headquarters at 3 00 oclock in the morning. The first thing, are you awake. Its like i am now but, can we buy you a globe. So you can see how the sun orbits around and obviously there Still Mission driven. They are calling about some new investigation or something that we need to do. Sometimes its very administrative. Saint it with that but that happens in any company thing. Any organization defined that bureaucracy. Circle back to the good part. The people. How did you end up our license could sound like a critical question but how did you end up as my special assistant. Im glad that you did josh. Tell the folks how you ended up here. What did you do. It all started with a tweet actually. Which is true right. If i went to work for the director, loves doing a headquarters tour and management assignment in Public Affairs. One of the duties included managing the fbi his twitter account. That was fun. It was nerveracking is it too. Because before you would click send on a tweet, youd have to see your career flash before your eyes. They misspell something or did i really something that was inappropriate. The storm has been changed correct. [laughter] back in the day, [laughter] back in time. This is very funny. I said sweet, tonights or watch park and rec great ratio right. So this guy name Barry Macklin it was a wannabe fbi agent and it was chris pratt who played this kind of goofy character. Mri. He had a straitjacket and all this funny stuff. So when that show went off of the air. I was personally devastated. I decided to send the show a farewell tweet after they went off the air. So i said something so long the lines of you know unconventional but we will miss you macklin. In that it just exploded on twitter. People are like zero my god the fbi agent has a sense of humor. [laughter] they watch television. They watch modern television. But it was funny in the bureau because, i just thought screw it all just do it. But then the calls immediately started up the chain of command. Like what you doing, this its not what we do. I even included the recruiting ladies i wanted to tie this back to it. This was to cause but was so funny was i come into work one day and i think it was on a monday, seven over the weekend and i am a voicemail. I met a couple of times you know who i was but theres this boy spent the said hi josh, this is jim colby, i just want to say thank you for the treat. That was so great. Are you kids said it was awesome so that trickled off and thanks for doing something unconventional and pushing the envelope. So i played that voicemail to all of the people. [laughter] told people who are criticizing me. And then some organizations, some leaders change our view immediately after hearing the director is now interested. So i guess thats how i got on your radar. And then, i had the opportunity to add an if it with Chuck Rosenberg who was the acting head of the dba, youll see him now on and be see in the lb talking about legal issues. He went ahead at the dea. It is on opioid abuse. Some kind of Public Service announcement. Check was running very late. Were there at the if it i found myself in this room. I was there for Public Affairs with the director. This was the norm, he would just interview people. To Start Talking to them. Who are you and just Start Talking to them. What i didnt know was finally called me about the tweet so i knew i was on his radar but i said and realized it was a Job Interview which i didnt realize. He asked me how are things going in the fbi. The u. S. , my doing. I remember pausing taking so the ceo is asking me how i think he is doing. The unit there was i was a week and a off from being my headquarters assignment going back to the field. So this happened in a split second but it felt like an eternity c. Im going to the field theres nothing they can do to me, [laughter] semi to the field right. So when am i going to have this audience again. You want to say was on your mind. So i explained the things that i had issues with and challenges any probe the little bit. Tell me more tell me more. I left that meeting thinking well that was cool got to talk to the director of the fbi and i got some things off of my chest that i wanted to change. I get this call now that ive been hired on to his staff. [laughter] via special assistant. I remember the first time i saw you after that, the first thing he says is yet you are here to fix all that stuff you said was all screwed up. [laughter] which is Pretty Amazing and i think folks you know, its stage for a relationship. Ive got a really cool nickname out of it. Not being a contrarian but you remember the dr. Now. [laughter] id come off of an if it and in any leadership role, but especially the fbi directors role. A lot of sucking up goes on but you never did. I want to. That out. I came out of an if it he would tell me i was awesome. And josh would whisper in my ear, you know. [laughter] good but not your best. Thats what he would whisper. So became a running joke that was eager to get to the plane and say what what was. So i get to thanks you. Thats a true story about the treat. I had never watched parks and recreation home having dinner that weekend with trees and the kids and one of my daughters says, dad, someone sent an hilarious tweet from the fbi. She did explain it for me. I said i dont know who this guy is. She said it doesnt matter, find out who that person is. [laughter] so talking down. Okay so we travel a lot together. Why were my hotel rooms always so small and smaller than years. [laughter] wow, we are really digging in here. Actually thats a true story. He would call sometimes, you know the back they sometimes have a fire met which is the height size of the hotel. Im looking at yearend 208 and its this big, my room is like a third of the size of pictures, [laughter] i am spending all of my time in this room while you guys are out having fun. It was keep me safe. This will we told him, and interior tiny space so we know you are safe. Well go with that. [laughter] it worked beautifully. I got fired. You know there that day. You write about it in the book. So i guess wont spend time on that. Tell me what happened with your career at the bureau after i was fired. Is the very tumultuous time period. So again going back to may 2017 on the fbi directors was hired, and that officially sets the stage a pit about. Begin the theme of the book is, the campaign of attack that is transpired against the fbi, gets it Justice Department were for legal reasons. To undermine bubbler, these investigations, they have real consequences on public safety. And what i. Out and this is what a lot of folks inside of the bureau believed then and so believe that if the public loses faith in Law Enforcement in the fbi, in these agencies, then we are all of safe because if an fbi agent noxon someone store, they need help in solving a crime, or the trying to recruit a source to go with the fbi cant go. If for a moment, they hesitate and say well, i dont think im going to be part of this because of heard and seen on the news our elected leaders say that these people are bad corrupt people. That has consequences of public safety. I mention this as a preface because it was a really around that time after the firing, and then we are in that time. Where andy mccabe is the acting directory of the rear of trying to grapple with what has just happened. The public didnt yet know about the loyalty dinner about the president as you mentioned, try to get you to drop the lend investigation and the like. But once i came out, it was very chaotic. Again not only the bureau but country trying to figure out what is happening here. Its just these are the actions taking place that this agency is staring out trying to figure out what happened. Bob muller comes on the scene and then there are some sense of normalcy so to speak whenever that investigation then goes to him. But i write about that in the book right after his firing, how the agency is dealing with this. And then as i and what was interesting is that leads to later that year, my colleagues and i would see this psychologist campaign of attack. The political campaign. The reddick rhetoric heating up. The thanks lighting. Commanderinchief is staying that i am being targeted by people who were breaking the law essentially. To say ive been targeted politically. That president obama satisfy into my campaign. Things we know on the face, this legality with those being claimed was not true. So that led to me. I talk about it in the book but is making a decision that i realized that the fbi its not perfect. To cover the fbi now. And other agencies and again all of the time, we on earth wrongdoings and things that happened as we sit here right now, is used to say anyone of you whatever organization you know with, there is someone in that agency that is doing so they right now that they should be doing. So our job now is journalist is to help bear that out. So that the public knows whats going on. But at that time, when im still the fbi, my focus was on the public. You have the public in my view is being manipulated. Delete something that isnt true. I made the decision that look my ultimate focus, overtake it as an fbi agent trying to collect protect the public. In the face of no one inside leadership in the Justice Department speaking up to say this is wrong, that these are good people yet to make mistakes and were going to get to the bottom of what happened. We have congressional oversight committees that when theyre doing the normal thing to hold these people account. When secure the time where nobody was stepping up to say what was wrong. So i made the decision to step out of the fbi. And try to help explain folks like you of the American People like indians everything they know. What is true what is the political boys. Lets make sense of it. Not to defend an agency, to defend the truth. To be sure the American People are being told the truth the good bad and ugly. What reaction did you get to get that decision inside of the bureau. Over only positive, some people were shocked that i would leave a career that is very secure and very safe career. So there werent those questions but again the thing that i grapple with and by the way, i tell people that i we need good people stay in these agencies. My time and skills and what have you, to help explain again right and wrong. So as people really thought about it, they understood. I had one colleague in particular, as i was leaving he sent me a note, which i printed out. He said, dont just defend us when were on attack. You have to hold us accountable when we stray. Hes an attorney, and agent attorney, so i really take that to heart. So i get to do that everything will be now. Its not just the fda, other institutions as well. When theyre unfairly targeted, will pointed out. When they do things wrong, we will. That out is it too. Overwhelmingly in this book there is a dissection of what is right and what is wrong and i am critical of people in certain actions and decisions. And including you. In certain aspects. So i hope people really come away with an understanding that thats the focus to really help explain to view and decipher the political noise which is just so loud these days. You dont see in inconsistency between your choice to leave. People may decide to leave on their own. It is at a not just about the fbi, we have a colleague in our secret service today. People thanks what is that like in Law Enforcement. I would argue that its because i think these institutions so highly of them, the good people should join them and should go to be part of that. Again, i personally get to see both sides pretty good, the good and. Of the bed what happens. You get the criticism i. C. E. Here about me we do people leave government should not be talking about your prior work or being critical of people stealing government. Do you that and what your reaction to that. Soon a number of people fall into that category. What i would say is that if you look at people who are on the receiving end of it, kind of criticism both of its you or me or people like director klapper and others who obviously government and now are trying to surf this purpose of trying to help decipher and spend from reality. What i would thanks is people were critics of this group, asked the question what do you expect of people who spent so much time surfing in these institutions. For years sometimes over decades surfing the greater good upholding the constitution to protect the nation, what are they supposed to do when they see these things in the same institutions on assault for political reasons. You could be part of why its which us with a lot of the critics would like because when narrative continues. They are the corrupt and the live. But it requires good people who understand the agencies to step up and say this is right and this is wrong. One thing i do well and michael today is to ensure the viewers in the public understand again what is the center of gravity that the truth. The caveat things. If im about you and hearing the news, ill say, full disclosure i work for him. So the viewer understands that if there are biases in place, at least we know about them. You dont see that on every network, but it certainly something that we try to ensure that people are understanding what they are watching. How is cnn different from working at cnn and working from it the bureau . Let me say there are a lot of similarities which is interesting. It was that if i can. That was the realization for me going into cnn and not realizing going into the media that the role of a journalist reporting, from cnn, is to gather information to investigate things that happened and to thanks questions of people in the whole people and hold them accountable and power. That is the Job Description of an fbi agent. My colleagues wish they had subpoena power and i do is it too. [laughter] commanding and the like, which we dont but in the mean, it said admission of trying to gather information. Whats different comes to what you do with the information we do push down. This fascinates me. In the fbi in the post nine elevenths era, when the fbi is the piece of information, you immediately push it out. This is raw intelligence. This is something weve collected. Within the government, and the unintelligent agencies, so that they know what you know. We have something we dont know if this is applicable to you you may be able to connect it. That we dont have. Were going to push it out. The intelligence reports, number of those are pushed out where we were in trouble if we did an interview and something wasnt pushed out, youve got to get that to other agencies, they might need to know that out. We are pushing out putting up with you. Raw information. The fascinating part of working in the media for me was coming in to cnn, is realizing that the process involved before something goes on the air, is so much more rigorous than i thought. I thought okay reporter did something they want to the house of the no. But theres this rigorous process following lawyers and standards of practices and asking tough questions. How do you know what you know. How is the source. If we know something, that we want to say, should we say it. That kind of process which is just fascinating to me. Ive been on the receiving and im trying to get my own reporting clear. Some of it never makes it through the process. His estate, you know what, keep working at it keep working at it keep digging and getting information. That was most fascinating thing thats the biggest difference between the fbi in the media. That process because in place before you see something or hear something, thats coming from one of these major credible networks, goes through this process which is surprising and enlightening and i hope is reassuring. But you are not pushing. You not pushing things you are pushing out to networks. Me personally. Not part of the gig. Not in all. I work at cnn. [laughter] syriac unite talked once about how you instruct the people in the bureau, and must be cool to work at cnn. In san and must thought it would be cool to work at the bureau. Which places cooler . Cnn obviously. [laughter] yes funny, when i went to cnn, the bureau people, said you are going to the dark side what you are doing. Then when i went to cnn. They said well you came from the dark side, thats amazing. [laughter] people learn a little bit about each other. I do think that there are more people in the news media that understand how agencies work. There are people in agencies that know how the people in the media work as a whole. No more, we do these sounding board calls about stories. Is this right, is this what the fbi would be doing or the cia would be doing. Me learning new things about the fbi that i didnt know. And i was in the fbi. Our people and covered this in these agencies so rigorously. I dont see that from in government there was always a suspicion right. Zero well, i remember working on a case, there is no good at coming up you cases going to the media. Which is obviously not true because of everybody delete that, and no one would know about what the fbi does. To include the public who pays their salaries. So thats been fascinating. Even watching the bureau from the outside for a year and a off coming up on two years. Give the folks a sense of your assessment of the state of the bureau and tell us what the future looks like. Is tough to look at a crystal ball but i think theres a whole adage that applies to the selection that we see coming up. When i start to write about it in the book is really sensitizing people. Not only because ive already mentioned the danger in the campaign of attack but i suspect that what we are going to say the 2020 election for the minimum fbi and the Justice Department and restitution of the justice, even larger than that is, an escalation of what weve already seen. Because political campaigns by the very nature are about power. If one party is trying to hold onto power, and one president is trying to apparently very seen the president and a red he said summer they robbed me of the first three years of my presidency. Some of this investigation, this hung over the ministration obviously. So i think what we will probably see is that continue being and going into 2020 that looks all of these things that i couldve done, i was tied up with this Russian Investigation which didnt go anywhere. So i think were probably going to see more attacks so long those lines. Which is why i hope, not just because a rough book but because through that lens that this is more called action. Both of you know up about republican or democrat i could care less. Safety trumps any given election cycle. And if you believe that, the good people will know these agencies and care about the rule of law have to speak up and say this needs to stop. Isnt that bureau of corrupt enterprise. Any mccabe got fired, for lying to investigators. Pete and lisa were texting each other and badmouthing trump and everybody else. The president isnt making stuff up right. As in the bureau and all of the show that the enterprise is corrupt. The facts dont bear that out. I talk about it in the book. I criticize a lot of the actions of people. Which i made bad decisions. The judgment was suboptimal and poor and these people make mistakes. Some of them have been held to account. In the way the process works. As it should. But that is different than turning that into this larger broad brush an agent or an agency his motive because these people were texting each other making these terrible decisions, that then led to using the levers of power to go after a certain person which again, people inside the fbi say really, they were seeing this, that doesnt make sense. But the narrative continues. I would be remiss if i didnt thanks you a couple of questions. So because you brought up the latter part there, i am interested in where the cuffs of this ig report into the origins of the Russian Investigation. Can you tell us about what your involvement has been in that. And what you see coming out of that. Simple, ive been interviewed. I see facts. I love facts. I hope they ig is able to offer maximum transparency to the people. Again it could be wrong, can be things that i never imagined and cne west buff i dont think so. I dont think theres going to be a finding a significant misconduct. Unless you see facts. Because my strong senses as with so many things that have happened over the last two years, theres been a whole lot of lying going on by the president and those around him. Including people in congress. So lets eat the facts. Inspect again i dont always agree with their analysis and thats fine. I believe they are honorable honest people who are really good at gathering the facts. Lets gather them and share as much of them as we can with the American People. And we make a judgment. Two expecting bombshells. And i am not aware of any. I honestly can imagine what they would be. They said over and over again in the last two years, im highly confident thats not true of an indictment. And so must move on to make another stuff up after that, if peters out, but i dont think so. But again, i want to keep an open mind. Show us the facts. Then lets talk about it. On thanks you one more question. I know we are getting time to run out. Hard questions until they kick us out of here. [laughter] the kavanaugh case in the news, the news of the day. And maybe the week. Most of us are familiar with the latest developments but if you are if it were you, we do think the fbi should do to stipulates to the constraints that replace the we reported on that this was a limited scope investigation, not free reign. This should be fbi release with that limited scope was so the American People understand what exactly the investigated and supposedly what they didnt. I dont know. Im a big believer in transparency. But the bureau is the wrong focus there. The bureau does in a Background Investigation like that, what is told to do and only what is told to do. So if somebody wants interviewed, so because the bureau didnt interview them is because i didnt get permission to follow connolly. So i dont know or the reason i am hesitating is because as a director, you have to be thoughtful about what you making a disclosure about what you did during that investigation might have future white house relationships are senate relationships. But thats where the people can go and thanks questions. What did you allow the bureau to do and what didnt you allow the bureau to do these are not normal investigations were special agents will follow leads to the end of the earth given the logical lead, this is about they see a lead, they go to the white house on the mako to the committee and say we see this thing, can we follow up on it. The answer comes from their where the normal investigation it comes internally. So id love to see maximum transparency but i think the folks on the bureau is misplaced. So the white house doesnt announce with the told the bureau to do, then the only other logical outlet that would know what that was would be the fbi. Maybe a lot of us toasting the white house coming out to an asset. His net income but upon the fbi to correct the record. In an ideal world whenever the fbi credibility. Foster their confidence in the institution so i would love to see that, but i dont want to be in armchair quarterbacks and you definitely should do that. These may be knocked down effects that the current director could worry about. You dont need to. Anybody wasnt interviewed, and wasnt the bureau his call to not be interviewed. If you see somebody who have facts and they were interviewed, i promise you it wasnt an fbi decision. You think were going to hear the fbi was told not to do that. Sharp. We interviewed joe, he told us we gotta talk to sally sam and frank. Would like to go interview them is that okay. They get a yay or nay from the client. In this case would be the white house and counsel. His i think we have time for tour three audience questions. Ive been thanks you one more question. So what i dont of the answer to this one so it will be the last on between us. What he want to be we do grow up. [laughter] i think im doing it. For all the reasons i mentioned. I dont know if this is in your plan sitting here today. It certainly wasnt in mind. [laughter] i would still be with wally and geo if were up to me. [laughter] married a put them to sleep. And youd be showing me to my broom closet and some holiday and summer. I think im doing it. This is so rewarding to have for all of the reasons i mentioned. To have the opportunity just to help you the truth. And then obviously, humble enough to say i continue to seek the truth myself. I interview people gather information. To ensure that this it just isnt an analysis this is what i think are my opinion, especially doing reporting that you are insuring that the facts are solid. And that the American People get the best possible picture about what is actually happening. When the union around show, just as with josh is what i suggested. Theres already. Theres already a show like that. Okay, so i have some audience questions. Does anyone in the fbi deserve hazard pay for working on donald trump. [laughter] [applause] cigna i would say someone who received a lot of hazard pay month thank you for the u. S. Government. Overseas, the policy of the u. S. Government as hazard pay, overseas war zones were austere environments and i think thats a good policy to leave it at that. [laughter] and i dont want it. They love the mission and the institution and they like not to be polite about. And like to be criticized. Not like about. Thats a big difference. [applause] so i thanks a question and they applaud you. [applause] [laughter] is a lot of sucking up going on. Very very good. Okay, after all of the negative comments made by President Trump and the fallout of the molar report, being pushed by many representatives and senators, as well as trump, have credible with the vip if another investigation regarding National Security comes about. I assume they mean another high profile. Thats a question, the nuts and bolts of an investigation will say the same. Youll have the same people get up every day to do that job. That will change. Nor will the authorities. This rigorous process place. Or the techniques and tools. As we together learn what transpires especially when this investigation comes out, were going to hear likely about these tool surveillance, and the use of informants were theyve done improperly, were they done lawfully. These are all prophecies that are overseeing. Theyre going to apply the next investigation, the question is. It comes down to competence and credibility. Protective about public safety. The next question after u. S. That one is with the people believe both of that Political Party that the fbi was in the tank for a certain side or worthy doing it fairly. And for their part, theyll keep doing a mission, i will say the one area where i criticize the leadership of the Justice Department as far as how they handle things, is if you know in a leadership position, the attorney general Deputy Attorney general, your job is to. Out when your people are being misrepresentative and when the work is being misrepresentative. You have to be wheeling to lose your job to do your job. And that you have to be yet to be seen. If the American People see a leader standing up is the no no no, this is politics, this is noise. I think that will stop politicians from going that route. To say well, i was going to stop us some great to say anything we want. If you see a standing up with a backbone, and say this needs to stop. I think thats going to shut a lot of that down. If you dont that coming in to see. [silence] , we see people not acting because theyre afraid of getting fired, but i think were going to be right back where we are now. In this future hypothetical. Have you seen something other than. [silence] all of us have seen that. We do look at the actions of the attorney general in the w debbie attorney general. Ive interviewed dozens of people inside outside government because i want to make sure what i was staying that wasnt just wasnt person but a crosssectional view. That was the thing that people would say is that when ever these leaders would stand out, and. Out that the president was attacking them, it was almost always when they were personally being attacked rather than when the institution was being attacked. I think thats obviously troubling because again it comes out to the confidence of the American People have in these agencies are actually like. Something occurred throughout the current era of leadership. With the fbi and Justice Department we need to focus on juries, and judges. And forget about the noise. Forget about the news and the funds and all that other stuff. Juries and judges. Thats fine, but the thing that i. Out is he will walk into a jury box come in with a preformed view of the fbi in these agencies. The judges sitting there looking answering on a prosecutor, comes in with a prejudged view, harsh debate on what they have seen the press. In the media about what these agencies are doing. Are the operating correctly are they actually operating within the boundaries of the law so if you dont focus on communicating, with the agency his plight, if you leave it to investigations, let it speak for itself, its not going to speak at all because the only people who are hearing other people who already had a view who have may be cited in a certain way. Im going to thanks a question about cyber. How deeply we get Cyber Defense of past politically charged climate. Defending the homeland from our adversaries. What you think it will take to make a shift. We do look at the elections, cyber is obviously a big topic. Lets talk about Election Security for example. Obviously the u. S. Government is preparing for an attack from our foreign adversaries. The government rightly so, always looking back on the last threat and preparing for that. Rather than being creative enough to power our adversaries are going to look outside of the box and attack us in a different way. I think that as we talk to people in these intelligence agencies but they are gearing up for that. But we havent seen is that real demand signal coming from on high from the white house. On down staying that this is something that is important to us. We will not tolerate any foreign election interference in any effort to give a metal, i try to get rid of that work for mike vocabulary. Stop meddling. Its like what that scoobydoo kids did or something. Its innocuous. This is in affairs, this is information warfare. Thats how that issue about our adversaries. Its beyond that. The cyber domain, i think the government does a better job at least in the modern era has now to do with the private sector and have preparing them for the same kind of attacks. They are stealing the same kind of information is just in these other ways they can use to collect the picture, on what it is that people are doing, or these operations that we saw in 2016. Somebody asked how does it end. And now think theyre talking about the muck. [laughter] that would be easier. I took the question to main so how do we get back to a place of normalcy and stability in constitution and our institutions and their leadership. Maybe i missed reading a question but let that went out you. For all of the reasons we talked about today, you have a leadership that is standing up for the institutions when they are unfairly attacked. Have a rigorous press who is holy to account, ensuring that they are doing the right thing on any given day. In the fbi, fascinating, people will appreciate this and media will appreciate it more. I remember going to quantico and they taught us that everything that you do, every piece of paper that you filed every National Security letter every affidavit, you look through that through a lens of how will this look on the front page of the washington post. Went through deep Media Training recently. I have some of my colleagues here, was the same as well. Government agency of Public Affairs person. Everything you do you have to look at it through that lens. How will it look on the front page of the newspaper. That is such a good thing. I remember the fbi, but a view but this is the nfl debacle with the government was shoddy and fbi and demanding records from companies related to National Security investigations. They didnt pinellas, they were trying to spine collect information. It was shoddy. They were slammed. Every nfl after that was almost nerveracking as writing a twe tweet. Because once that god set, you knew that some congressman or senator might be holding that document up. I think he is is the the longawaited way to assaying these rigorous processes, have to be there. Both sides of each other, a pain. The media says why and fbi or government says why. You need that rigorous process that is there. I guess to the truth and thats what the book talks about. Thats how we get past this. To ensure the American People understand the truth and that we build his confidence back up. Weve been in a dark place since the 70s. On uber, the fbi, violations of human civil liberties. Intelligence Community Learned from that and you have revised and that was passed and you had these congressional committees that were set up. You had a wallet past the date to ensure that at fbi director would have a ten year term. Mostly. [laughter]. So that you wouldnt have another damper uber. A little is it too long. These prophecies that were in place to ensure that you didnt regress back to that 1970. Where those real corruption. It took decades for the people to believe am afraid it will take another generation. By doing the right thing in telling a story and having oversight. And i know we are running away with time but do want to thanks questions of you. One person asked a really good question about kavanaugh. This one for coming, as fbi employee, i always enjoy your emails about your family traditions. How has your family held all of the time with the fbi. As take tommys homies. On the mug. [applause] hashtag. Anyway a really longwinded letter. Obviously i continued after he was fired. He will rescue me how can we get him this mug that we made. It was your picture and it said homies homies on there. And then the question came out because he had for lawyers, jim, has to authorize his use of the likeness before this goes out. In my free time, taxpayer dollars but i remember going to your house to have you sign something in all of that. So long the way. So hows your family dealing with this. Because theyve been through a lot as well. We are talking about this recently. Theyve done well. We probably took for granted that they were going to be more resilient than they were. We both think that they absorbed i dont read twitter comments and i gathered good things, so i dont try to open a window of craziness a little crack. But we realize now that our children were consuming it in large amounts. In the know me in the know us, and i think it was probably harder for them than maybe we thought. So weve tried to be more attentive to that recently. But in the main, really well. Because of the web of relationships that we are stuck in a great way. Friends and family and community. We are able to be deeply frustrated and laugh at the same time. And have sort of loved each other through it. It hasnt been easy. Its been made very painful but the worst part is to echo, i miss dearly the people of the fbi. I do not miss the political weasels. Outside of the fbi but i miss the people who devoted their lives to that mission. There is no group of people youve ever encountered like that. So i grieve for that all of the time. That sort of is been a constant with me. But in the main we are okay. When a where state now because i wont commit to anything. Fulltime until next year his election because i need to be free to speak and so a little bit in a state of animation. He cant go and lead nonprofit or take those prominent position somewhere else. I need to be able to speak for the same reason that you have spoken. I will end with josh. This book is Public Service. I hope people especially young people read it. And they realize with this institution is really like and white everybody has to speak to protect it for the sake of our country. [applause] [background sounds] [background sounds] will have the book signing if you would not like to get your book signed, feel free to exit appear at the top. [background sounds] is the look at some of the events book tb will be covering this week. On monday, will be in Arlington Virginia for recording of the chapter on books podcast. Featuring will pay good, thursday look for us in san francisco. Stephen kinzer his biography of sidney gottlieb, the head of the cias Mk Ultra Mind Control Program that was dissolved in the mid 1970s. And saturday will be in marietta, georgia for Jackie Gingrich from his thoughts on the dangers of political polarization. Most of these events are often to the public. If you know in attendance, take those picture and tagus at book tv on Twitter Facebook or instagram
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