Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious CoverUp, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House,New

Product Description NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The knockdown, dragout, untold story of the other scandal that rocked Nixons White House,and reset the rules for crooked presidents to comewith new reporting that expands on Rachel Maddows Peabody Awardnominated podcastBoth a thriller and a history book, Bag Man is a triumph of storytelling.Preet Bharara, New York Times bestselling author of Doing Justice and host of thepodcast Stay Tuned with Preet Is it possible for a sitting vice president to direct a vast criminal enterprise within the halls of the White House? To have one of the most brazen corruption scandals in American history play out while nobodys paying attention? And for that scandal to be all but forgotten decades later? The year was 1973, and Spiro T. Agnew, the former governor of Maryland, was Richard Nixons secondincommand. Long on firebrand rhetoric and short on political experience, Agnew had carried out a bribery and extortion ring in office for years, whenat the height of Watergatethree young federal prosecutors discovered his crimes and launched a mission to take him down before it was too late, before Nixons impending downfall elevated Agnew to the presidency. The selfdescribed counterpuncher vice president did everything he could to bury their investigation: dismissing it as a witch hunt, riling up his partisan base, making the press the enemy, and, with a crumbling circle of loyalists, scheming to obstruct justice in order to survive. In this blockbuster account, Rachel Maddow and Michael Yarvitz detail the investigation that exposed Agnews crimes, the attempts at a coverupwhich involved future president George H. W. Bushand the backroom bargain that forced Agnews resignation but also spared him years in federal prison. Based on the awardwinning hit podcast, Bag Man expands and deepens the story of Spiro Agnews scandal and its lasting influence on our politics, our media, and our understanding of what it takes to confront a criminal in the White House. Review The full sordid story of Spiro Agnew . . . [Maddow and Yarvitz] dont hold back. The New York TimesAcase study in how the democratic ideal of equal justice under the law collides with the squalid realities of Americas political system . . . abrisk and engaging account [that]sheds light on the challengeslegal, moral, politicalof treating presidents and vice presidents like every other citizen.The Washington PostBag Man delivers a powerful and timeless lesson about Americas enduring principles while demonstrating that the final verdict of history may differ from selfinterested contemporary accounts and highlighting how much the rule of law depends upon the character of the people who enforce it.Rod J. Rosenstein, former U.S. Deputy Attorney GeneralBag Man is a superentertaining pageturner about a mostly forgottenyet hugely importantchapter of American history that played out right in the shadow of Watergate. Its a deeply wild tale of greed, criminality, and corruption infecting the highest levels of our government. But at its heart, its a human story, a reminder that people make up our institutions, and ultimately they have the ability to protectand to saveour democracy when it really needs their help.Ben Stiller Long before Donald Trump disrupted the rules of politics, Spiro Agnew cheerfully derided liberals, the establishment, ivory tower professors, and the press.In Bag Man, Maddow and Yarvitz provide rich new details about the shameless corruption and astonishing fall of Richard Nixons vice president. Meticulous reporting and vivid storytelling bring to life the lessons from the investigation and prosecution of a leader at the top of American government, providing useful guidance today as we navigate rhyming themes. As the authors write, History is here to help.Barbara McQuade, former U.S. Attorney forthe Eastern District of Michigan Rachel Maddow and Michael Yarvitz