Trump Lawyer Moves To Block Explosive Book On White House From Publication

Trump Lawyer Moves To Block Explosive Book On White House From Publication

A lawyer representing President Donald Trump sent a cease-and-desist letter this week to journalist Michael Wolff and publisher Henry Holt & Co. seeking to stop distribution of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

A section of the book has already sparked a public feud between the president and his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, who is quoted voicing criticisms of Trump and his family.

According to the Post, media attorney Charles J. Harder demands that the publisher “immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the book,” including excerpts and summaries. Harder also requested a full copy of the book, which is set for release Jan. 9.

Bannon claims in Fire and Fury that Trump was not only aware of Donald Trump Jr’s meeting with Russian operatives at Trump Tower in June 2016, but that he met with them, too. The president has repeatedly claimed no knowledge of the meeting, which Bannon mocked and labeled “treasonous” and “unpatriotic.”

In response, Trump released a statement slamming Bannon, whom he said “has nothing to do with me or my Presidency.”

“When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind,” Trump said in the statement.

A representative for Henry Holt & Co. confirmed to HuffPost that the publisher received the letter. “We see ‘Fire and Fury’ as an extraordinary contribution to our national discourse, and are proceeding with the publication of the book,” read a statement.

Late Wednesday, Harder sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bannon for his incendiary comments. The lawyer claimed Bannon broke the terms of a “confidentiality and non-disparagement agreement” he signed when he joined Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 by “making disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements” to Wolff.

In the letter, Harder suggested he would soon be taking legal action against Bannon, who appeared to backpedal his criticisms of the Trump administration on his Breitbart radio show Wednesday night.

Referring to Trump as “a great man,” the former White House strategist said he supports the president “day in and day out.”

HuffPost reached out to Harder but did not immediately receive a reply.

This story has been updated with a statement from the publisher.

Original article and pictures take s.m.huffpost.com site