“Deeply reported and compellingly told, Kenneth Vogel’s Devils’ Advocates shines a light into the underground world of foreign cash, Washington lobbyists, and the selling of American policy to outsiders. This book hits at the perfect moment, giving invaluable insight into why foreign interests are so powerful in Washington.” —#1 New York Times bestselling authors Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes
New York Times investigative reporter Kenneth P. Vogel takes us inside Washington’s murky foreign lobbying industry, providing an unsparing look at the politically connected and morally flexible Americans who get rich working on behalf of brutal dictators, corrupt oligarchs, and pitiless arms dealers.
The foreign influence business, comprised of shadowy operators who quietly shape U.S. foreign policy while producing massive paydays for themselves, has existed for decades, often unnoticed by Americans. In recent years, it began generating more controversy and scrutiny, thanks to the larger-than-life characters who gained access to power starting in Donald Trump’s first presidential term.
Among them is Robert Stryk, who dresses more like a cowboy than a traditional lobbyist. He had failed at several businesses before bluffing his way into relationships in Washington and around the world, quickly amassing wealth, influence, and a reputation for taking deals no one else would dare to touch.
Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani, once “America’s Mayor,” found his fading star rising again under Trump. Giuliani leveraged his position as Trump’s personal lawyer into deals with foreign interests who saw him as a direct line to the president. Hunter Biden, too, the son of the future president, was no stranger to the business, having capitalized on his father’s connections since the elder Biden’s days as a senator and vice president.
As the new wave of foreign influence peddlers spent millions on fast cars, pricey cigars, and flashy watches, their stories weaved together in ways that subverted American foreign policy interests. Some became headline-grabbing scandals. Others are being revealed here for the first time.
Using exclusive sources, thousands of documents, and on-the-ground reporting, Vogel takes readers from an oligarch’s wooded compound outside Kyiv and a South American presidential palace to the halls of power in Washington, DC, and inside the CIA. Devils’ Advocates shines a harsh light on the people, places, and deals behind this seedy—and often absurd—industry, and provides a never-before-seen look at this billion-dollar business that is often at odds with American values like human rights and democracy.
This gripping true story of political power and moral compromise reveals:
- Back-Channel Deals: Follow the money from brutal dictators and corrupt oligarchs into the pockets of morally flexible Americans willing to sell out their country for a massive payday.
- High-Stakes Political Intrigue: Go behind the headlines to connect the scandals of key players like Rudy Giuliani, Hunter Biden, and the audacious cowboy lobbyist Robert Stryk.
- An Investigative Deep Dive: Discover a narrative built on thousands of documents, exclusive sources, and on-the-ground reporting from Kyiv to the halls of power in Washington.
- Trump-Era Washington: Uncover how Donald Trump's presidency didn't just drain the swamp—it created a new ecosystem where outsiders and loyalists could get rich selling access and influence.