The Switch

Acknowledgments

I’m grateful to a number of people who so generously helped me in the preparation of this book, including a number of current and former chiefs of staff and aides to US senators, all of whom exhibited more spine and heroism than Will Abbott: Clarine Nardi Riddle (Joe Lieberman), Dan Geldon (Elizabeth Warren), Jeff Duncan (Ed Markey), Travis Johnson (David Vitter), Mark Kadesh (Dianne Feinstein), Allison Herwitt (Chris Murphy), and especially Andy Winer (Brian Schatz). My thanks to James Bamford, dean of NSA writers (with apologies for my fictional conceits). Also in DC, I’m grateful to Dan Jones of the Daschle Group, my terrific researcher/editor/assistant Clair Lamb, and Doyle Bartlett of the Eris Group. (Note: For dramatic purposes, I’ve taken creative liberties with the Senate Intelligence Committee’s security protocols.)

For legal assistance, I thank Charles Sims of Proskauer Rose, J. Patrick Rowan of McGuireWoods, Stephen Vladeck of the University of Texas School of Law, Alex Abdo of the ACLU, and Mark Zaid. My coffee experts included Corby Kummer, Jaime van Schyndel, and particularly George Howell.

In Boston, thanks to my friend Jay Groob of American Investigative Services, Bruce Irving, Larry Roberts, Eric Boutin, Chris Keller, Marc Davis, Sean Murphy of The Boston Globe, and my unindicted coconspirator, Giles McNamee. For medical help, Mark Morocco of the UCLA ER, and for some baby details I’d forgotten, Matt Miller of Stories Bookshop. At Dutton, my thanks to Christine Ball, Amanda Walker, Abigail Endler, Carrie Swetonic, Jess Renheim, and Ben Sevier. At my office, many thanks to Laura Jaye and Marilyn Saks Goldstein. Finally, I’m grateful to my agent, Dan Conaway, and most of all to my brother, Henry Finder.