First published 2019
Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch left The Wall Street Journal in 2010 to start Fusion GPS, using their reporting skills for corporate investigations and political opposition research. In fall 2015, they began examining Donald Trump's finances. What started as routine research into lawsuits and bankruptcies revealed troubling patterns. Simpson and Fritsch recognized names from their previous coverage of Russian corruption appearing in Trump's business dealings. They enlisted Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer and Russia specialist, to help decode what they were finding. Steele produced a series of memos that became known as the Steele dossier, documenting alarming connections between Trump and Russian interests. These memos reached U.S. intelligence agencies and both presidents Obama and Trump. When the dossier became public in January 2017, it ignited the Trump-Russia investigation that dominated headlines for years. The small consulting firm above a Dupont Circle Starbucks found itself at the center of congressional hearings, conspiracy theories, and legal battles with Russian oligarchs. Simpson and Fritsch reveal how their investigation uncovered one of the most significant political stories in modern American history.
Genres: crime, non-fiction, 21st-century, investigative-journalism, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, political-intrigue
Setting: Dupont Circle, Russia, United States
Period: 2015, 2017
368 pages · Hardcover · Random House