The Fall of the FBI: How a Once Great Agency Became a Threat to Democracy

by Thomas J. Baker

Overview

An FBI veteran explains how the Mueller–Comey cabal turned the FBI from a “swear to tell the truth” law-enforcement agency to a politicized intelligence organization.

Americans have lost faith in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an institution they once regarded as the world’s greatest law-enforcement agency. Thomas Baker spent many years with the FBI and is deeply troubled by this loss of faith. Specific lapses have come to light and each is thoroughly discussed in this book: Why did they happen? What changed? The answer begins days after the 9/11 attacks when the FBI underwent a significant change in culture.

To understand how far the Bureau has fallen, this book shows the crucial role played by the FBI and its agents in past decades. It was quite often, as the reader will see from these firsthand experiences, a fun-filled adventure with exciting skyjackings, kidnappings, and bank robberies. At the same time, the reader will see the reverence the Bureau had for the Constitution and the concern agents held for the rights of each American.

This book is not mere memoir—it is history. From the shooting of President Reagan and the death of Princess Diana to the TWA 800 crash and even getting marching orders from St. Mother Teresa, Baker’s story shows how the FBI has played a pivotal role in our country’s history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781637586259
Publisher:	Bombardier Books
Publication date:	12/06/2022
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	116,312
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Thomas J. Baker has over thirty-three years of investigative and management experience as an FBI Special Agent. He has experience with police management and training issues, having served as a management instructor at the FBI academy.

His international experience is extensive. He served as the Legal Attaché in Canberra, Australia, and Paris, France. He was the American security representative to the Calgary Winter Olympics and was commended by the Canadian government for his role in the event.

As the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, he was one of the first agents on the scene of President Reagan’s shooting; Tom directed the FBI’s initial response to that crisis.

Tom has a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, a MPA in Police Science from John Jay College, and he completed the Senior Command Course at the Police Staff College in Bramshill, England. Tom and his wife, Anne, divide their time between Northern Virginia and the Colorado Rockies where they enjoy skiing, fishing, and hiking.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xv

Introduction xvii

Prologue xix

Chapter 1 Rotten Apples or Rotten Culture? 1

Part I The Good: Sometimes It Is Like the Movies

Chapter 2 And So, It Began 16

Chapter 3 Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned 19

Chapter 4 Buried Alive 31

Chapter 5 Marching Orders from A Saint 45

Chapter 6 Bravery Amongst Chaos 48

Chapter 7 Back to the Bronx 58

Chapter 8 The Training Division 67

Chapter 9 American Hustle: the Movie vs. the Real Deal 73

Chapter 10 "The President Has Been Shot!" 83

Chapter 11 A Tale of Two Ambassadors 107

Chapter 12 Lies, Lies, and More Lies 122

Chapter 13 "Bring Me Good News" 130

Chapter 14 Death Over Water 137

Chapter 15 "Turn Over Every Stone" 152

Chapter 16 Death in a Bunker 167

Chapter 17 "That's An Islamist!" 173

Part II The Bad: Injustice

Chapter 18 "Arrest That Woman!" 182

Chapter 19 A Promising Young Life Cut Short 187

Chapter 20 "Do You Have Your Gun?" 194

Chapter 21 Black Mass: the Movie vs. the Real Deal 207

Chapter 22 "It Takes Two, Baby, It Takes Two" 211

Chapter 23 He Died in Chains 217

Chapter 24 A Tale of Two Attorneys 222

Chapter 25 "You Just Keep Digging, Gary" 231

Chapter 26 Life and Death in Iran 237

Part III The Ugly: The Fall of the FBI

Chapter 27 Mueller Changed the Culture 244

Chapter 28 A Tale of Two Conspiracies 250

Chapter 29 Transparency and Institutional Failure 259

Chapter 30 There Was No Obstruction of Justice 267

Chapter 31 The Worst FBI Director 273

Chapter 32 The FBI Was Lucky to Have Bill Barr 277

Chapter 33 The Abuse of General Flynn 282

Chapter 34 Need for Intelligence Reform 289

Chapter 35 Fix The FBI's Broken Culture 303

Chapter 36 Can the Culture Be Won Back? 316

Conclusion 319

Epilogue: "Morning in America" 321

Afterword 325

Bibliography 327

Glossary 333

Appendix 343

Acknowledgments 345

Editorial Reviews

Baker’s must-read book is both timely and critical for the turbulent times in which we live. A touchstone for FBI historians and law enforcement organizations alike, The Fall of the FBI is essential reading and should be considered one of the most powerful and thought-provoking FBI books ever written!

Kenneth Strange Jr.

There are a million stories in the life of an FBI Agent. Some can be, some should be, and others the FBI hopes are never told. Tom Baker, in his compelling book, The Fall of the FBI takes the reader through highlights of his remarkable career and offers an insight to what the FBI has meant to America. He also tells the story of other, more recent incidents, that do not reflect what the FBI has been. He offers suggestions on what must be done to restore this storied institution back to where it should be to protect, not sully, our nation.

Richard A. Marquise

An interesting and insightful look into the FBI. This book will give the reader a better understanding of the inner workings of the FBI and integrity of some Agents and the lack of it in other Agents. A very powerful read.

Joe Pistone

Tom Baker is a legend in the FBI: the first agent on the scene of the Reagan assassination attempt, wizened veteran of hundreds of other criminal cases, large and small. When he writes on the calling and compromise of the FBI’s institutional culture, as in his frequent commentary for the Wall Street Journal and here, in The Fall of the FBI, Baker commands unrivaled authority—and the undistracted attention of all patriots who care whether the United States remains a nation of laws.

James Rosen

The failures and political corruption of the FBI have become undeniable in recent years. The incredible insight from Thomas Baker’s thirty-three-year career at the Bureau and his eye-opening reporting make The Fall of the FBI a book only he could have written, and it’s essential reading for the rest of us who want to know what went wrong and wonder if the FBI can be saved.

Mollie Hemingway

Your new book The Fall of the FBI is a fascinating read because your life has been fascinating. I encourage all of our listeners to get a copy of your book.

Newt Gingrich Newt Gingrich

Tom Baker’s book is a must-read for those desiring to witness firsthand the career of a legendary FBI agent, as he brings the reader along from his days at the FBI Academy and beyond: kidnappings, airplane hijackings, espionage... even the attempted assassination of a sitting president. The author then tackles the thorny issues plaguing the FBI today, recognizing his beloved Bureau is ‘drifting away from its law enforcement moorings.’ Tom Baker’s stories are compelling, his insight is enlightening, and his conclusions are cogent.

Greg Dillon

Tom Baker, a retired FBI agent who enjoyed a wide-ranging and successful career, describes the chaos that led to the decline of the FBI in recent years. The Fall of the FBI is both entertaining and informative and centers on the turmoil that has engulfed the FBI. Baker sheds light on Director Bob Mueller’s disastrous culture change and Director Jim Comey’s failed leadership in the Russia Collusion case.

Joe Wolfinger

Thomas J. Baker’s more than three decades of distinguished service in the FBI validates his participation in major historic events and views of a declining Bureau. A thousand former FBI Agents wish they had the courage displayed by Tom in writing The Fall of the FBI. He reveals not only one or two former Bureau bad apples but his writing skill has the reader nearly smelling the stench of an entire orchard rotting in decay. A deeply researched serious work of nonfiction, it is a must read for all concerned with preserving our democracy.

Paul Letersky

For those of us who grew up admiring the FBI and were shocked by the agency’s behavior in the Russia Hoax, this is the book to read. Thomas Baker, a retired FBI official, tells us why this happened, how an American legend was gradually unraveled by incompetent management, dishonesty, and loss of, well, decency itself. Mr. Baker grew up in the agency, and in the old style rose to the management level, only to see his and his colleagues’ work devalued by the likes of James Comey and his coterie. Now we have an FBI that spies on Americans. It’s time for Congress to investigate and return the FBI to its former level of respect.

Peter J. Wallison

Your new book The Fall of the FBI is a fascinating read because your life has been fascinating. I encourage all of our listeners to get a copy of your book.

Newt Gingrich

The incredible insight from Thomas Baker’s thirty-three-year career at the Bureau and his eye-opening reporting make The Fall of the FBI a book only he could have written, and it’s essential reading for the rest of us who want to know what went wrong and wonder if the FBI can be saved.”

Editor in Chief of The Federalist and author of Ri Mollie Hemingway

Tom Baker is a legend in the FBI: the first agent on the scene of the Reagan assassination attempt, wizened veteran of hundreds of other criminal cases, large and small. When he writes…Baker commands unrivaled authority—and the undistracted attention of all patriots who care whether the United States remains a nation of laws.”

chief White House correspondent and author of The James Rosen