How to investigate the president, his predecessor & keep your job

Playbook Deep Dive

Until last month, Anthony Coley was Director of Public Affairs at the Justice Department and a Senior Adviser to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Coley was in the middle of some of the most extraordinary episodes at DOJ over the last two years:

The appointment of two special counsels investigating one current and one former president.

Responding to the drama around the investigation of the president’s son.

Taking incoming from right-wing pundits saying Garland was protecting President Biden and left-wing pundits saying the attorney general was protecting former president Trump.

And occasionally grappling with perhaps the most difficult dilemma that any government official faces: what do you do when you disagree with the boss?

In his first interview since leaving Merrick Garland’s side, Coley joins Playbook Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza from his home on Capitol Hill to discuss how the Justice Department separates law from politics, why two special counsels might just take the pressure off Garland, and much, much more.

Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Anthony Coley is the former director of public affairs at the Department of Justice
Afra Abdullah is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the executive producer for POLITICO audio.