January 4, 2018

The President of the United States Threatens Lawsuit to Stop Publication of a Book

Chris Kleponis/CNP via ZUMA

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Holy shit:

A lawyer representing President Trump sought Thursday to stop the publication of a new behind-the-scenes book about the White House that has already led Trump to angrily decry his former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon. The legal notice — addressed to author Michael Wolff and the president of the book’s publisher — said Trump’s lawyers were pursuing possible charges including libel in connection with the forthcoming book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.”

The letter by Beverly Hills-based attorney Charles J. Harder demanded the publisher, Henry Holt and Co., “immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the book” or excerpts and summaries of its contents. The lawyers also seek a full copy of the book as part of their investigation.

Threatening to sue Bannon was barmy enough, but demanding that a book publisher halt release of a book? That’s stone crazy. Hell, courts wouldn’t block publication of the Pentagon Papers, let alone a tittle-tattle account of a presidential administration. Trump has just insured that Wolff’s book will be the biggest bestseller of the year.

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This is a big one for us. So, as we ask you to consider supporting our team's journalism, we thought we'd slow down and check in about where Mother Jones is and where we're going after the chaotic last several years. This comparatively slow moment is also an urgent one for Mother Jones: You can read more in "Slow News Is Good News," and if you're able to, please support our team's hard-hitting journalism and help us reach our big $350,000 goal with a donation today.

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