On Tuesday, June 19, 2018, former director of the FBI James Comey joined DIE ZEIT’s investigative desk chief Holger Stark at Kino International for a conversation about Comey’s new book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership (MacMillan), which was released in German as Großer als das Amt (Droemer). Introduced by the American Academy in Berlin’s president, Michael Steinberg, Comey and Stark spoke for roughly two hours, including taking questions from the audience.

Comey’s book details experiences he gleaned from two decades in the highest levels of American government: from his position as US attorney for the Southern District of New York to that of deputy US attorney general under President George W. Bush, to taking the helm of the FBI under President Obama, in 2013, where he oversaw investigations into both Hillary Clinton e-mail and allegations of ties between the Trump campaign and Russia — and from which he was unexpectedly dismissed in 2017. “Trump is like a forest fire that destroys everything in its path,” Comey said, “but after that comes new growth.” A Higher Loyalty offers a view of what that kind of new growth might look like by offering a model of what comprises ethical leadership, how it drives both sound decisions and responsible, mature democratic governance. “American institutions are stronger than one person,” Comey said, noting that Trump’s presidency was awakening a generation to the importance of democratic engagement.

The event was was a cooperation among DIE ZEIT, Droemer Verlag, and the American Academy in Berlin.