Stacey Abrams: The two-time gubernatorial candidate on data leaks, electoral shenanigans, writing suspense novels, and her future in politics

I wrote my first attempt at a novel when I was 12. It was called The Diary of Angst. I was a very, very obnoxious 12-year-old who was just assailed by all the travails of the world

- BELINDA LUSCOMBE

People who only know your political career may not know that you’ve written four best sellers, some of them legal thrillers and romantic suspense novels. You have so much to do. Why write?

Novels have always been a part of how I think about writing. During law school, I wrote two things that got published: my first romantic suspense novel and an essay on the operational dissonance of the unrelated business income tax exemption.

Do you find novels a useful way to critique politics?

For me, it’s a way to tackle complicated conversations, to address questions that intrigue me or pique me. You don’t enter [my new book] Rogue Justice necessarily knowing you wanted to know about the power grid or the FISA court, but I hope when you’re done, you have answers, and new questions.

The plot involves a massive leak of data. Do you see similarities with the recent leak of military secrets on Discord?