"A scathing indictment of white-collar crime and its unpunished practitioners . . . In this steely-eyed examination of these brazen criminals, Taub holds that this lack of effective punishment merely encourages the wealthy to prey on the rest of society . . . A significant manifesto for judicial reform that aims at cracking the cabal of big-money grifters at the top."
(*starred review*)
“The United States is drowning in dirty money; we've constructed a two-tiered system of civil and criminal justice, of corruption and campaign finance; of bailouts and bankruptcies. Jennifer Taub ably and cogently strips bare the racism and the regulatory failures that have made America's wealthiest predators too big to fail and too spectacular to jail. Anyone worried about the current failures of accounting and accountability, and how these failures shape politics, elections, journalism and justice should take notice.”—
Senior Legal Editor, Slate
“In the corporate and political worlds, Taub finds a rampant crime wave, touching more than our financial markets and the halls of Congress. It intrudes into our daily lives, threatening our health, food, environment, and well-being. Sweeping and comprehensive, her work culminates in a groundbreaking series of imaginative solutions to refocus our efforts on combating elite crime to help American society recover.”
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Chickenshit Club
"A stimulating and provocative book that challenges the current administration on its handling of white collar crimes. It sets the stage for change."
Stetson University, co-author of White Collar Crime: Law and Practice
“Donald Trump’s time as president has shown that there are different standards for those in power—a ruling class that appears untouchable as in authoritarian regimes. But well before that, Trump was used to escaping accountability like other corporate insiders. Jennifer Taub details how this cycle of rewarding bad behavior has consolidated power in the hands of few and hurt our country.”
President, The New Agenda
"It's no accident that African-American citizens can be brutalized or even killed for minor alleged infractions, while corporate wrongdoers escape punishment or prosecution. When we see corner drug dealers denied bail but pharmaceutical conglomerates payout dividends, we are seeing the justice system work as intended. Jennifer Taub explains how the rot goes right to the heart of our legal and regulatory systems themselves."
Justice Correspondent for The Nation
“This powerful book explains how weak laws and ineffective enforcement enable some people to cause enormous harm with near impunity. Taub shines light on fraud, tax evasion and corruption, where wrongdoings can be hard to detect and the bar for creating accountability is too high. She issues a passionate call to action and outlines sensible reforms, at least some of which should resonate broadly and across our political divides.”
Stanford University and co-author of The Bankers New Clothes: What’s Wrong with Banking and What To Do About It