"Pepper comes through again with this clever tale of how cyber sabotage of elections, coupled with highly concentrated ownership of traditional media operations, can undermine American democracy."--President Bill Clinton A twisty, one-step-ahead-of-the-headlines political thriller featuring a rogue reporter who investigates election meddling of epic proportions written by the ultimate insider. Investigative reporter Jack Sharpe is down to his last chance. Fired from his high-profile gig with a national news channel, his only lead is a phone full of messages from a grad student named Tori Justice, who swears she's observed an impossible result in a local election. Sharpe is sure she's mistaken...but what if she isn't? Sharpe learns that the most important tool in any election is the voter file: the database that keeps track of all voters in a district, and shapes a campaign's game plan for victory. If one person were to gain control of an entire party's voter file, they could manipulate the outcome of virtually every election in America. Sharpe discovers this has happened--and that the person behind the hack is determined to turn American politics upside down. The more he digs, the more Sharpe is forced to question the values--and viability--of the country he loves and a president he admired. And soon it becomes clear that not just his career is in jeopardy...so is his life. Praise for The Voter File "Pepper, who has quickly established himself as one of the best political-thriller writers on the scene, keeps surprising us to the final page."-- The Wall Street Journal "This is that rare political thriller that takes us inside the actual election workings and that view makes for a superb cautionary tale on what might happen if the proper precautions and security measures aren’t taken. A must read for political junkies and anyone worried about this coming November."- -Providence Journal “Timely...[A] well-researched, gripping look at one of the many perilous wrinkles in the electoral system.”— Publishers Weekly “[A] highly plausible political thriller....Enjoyable, timely, and realistic.”— Kirkus Reviews "David Pepper has written one hellishly twisty thriller that is as timely as it is entertaining."-- Dayton Daily News “Pepper has done it again. Read this book before November 2020 and you will understand what could happen to our democracy. Let's hope the fiction in  The Voter File  doesn't become reality.”— Senator Bill Bradley “Believable, evocative, and shiver-inducing. As timely as tomorrow’s headline, written by a man who knows exactly what he’s talking about. It’s also as unpredictable as a riptide, bringing what is a clear and present threat to modern democracy into pristine focus.  Read and be warned.”— Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author “Drawing on his insider experience, David Pepper takes us into the dark underbelly of American elections—how campaigns use psychological warfare to target voters to the edge of the law, and beyond.”— Alex Berenson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Faithful Spy David Pepper is the author of The People's House and The Wingman , both of which feature Jack Sharpe. He earned his B.A. from Yale University and his J.D. from Yale Law School. He has clerked for a judge on the United States Court of Appeals, served in local elected office in Ohio, worked for major law firms, and taught election and voting rights law. Prior to law school, Pepper worked in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. In 2015, he was unanimously elected Chairman of the Democratic Party of Ohio. Chapter 1   Eight months later   PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WISCONSIN   Jack Sharpe? Wait, aren't you like some kind of famous celebrity?"   In this dark cave of a bar, the third Yuengling was definitely taking me where I wanted to go. That, and the sweet simper my auburn-haired bartender flashed as she enunciated my name-she must've seen it on my credit card-whittled away at my weeks of gloom. While this road trip offered me one last opportunity to get off the mat, hours behind the wheel had only meant more time to dwell on how I'd fallen facedown in the first place.   "Well, I'm on television sometimes, if that's what you mean."   I downed the rest of the beer before setting the empty bottle on the sticky mahogany countertop.   She popped the cap off a fourth Yuengling and slid it my way.   "Weather guy?"   "Not that bad. Politics. You ever hear of Republic News?" I took a deep swig from the fresh bottle.   "That's right. I see you on that TV all the time. Up there." She pointed across my shoulder. "With her."   I spun around on the barstool.   Between two mounted flat-screen TVs showing college football, she appeared on a smaller screen-the second-to-last person I wanted to see. Anchor Bridget Turner was interviewing someone about something, words scrolling along the bottom, the Republic News logo beaming in