The US Department of Justice requested a federal judge issue a temporary restraining order to block the publication of a forthcoming memoir by Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, who is thought by the White House to be revealing classified information in his book.
“To be clear: Defendant’s manuscript still contains classified information, as confirmed by some of the Government’s most senior national-security and intelligence officials. Disclosure of the manuscript will damage the national security of the United States” the DOJ memorandum claims.
BREAKING U.S. files motion for emergency restraining order against John Bolton. His book, per @jdawsey1 https://t.co/BLLirmBdtb pic.twitter.com/n4zbkTUEpV
— Spencer Hsu (@hsu_spencer) June 17, 2020
The director of US National Intelligence released a statement on filing the declaration with the judge amid threats that Bolton could be prosecuted because he is revealing state secrets, outlining that "unauthorized disclosure of classified information [could] damage our national security".
DNI Ratcliffe statement on filing declaration in U.S. Government case against John Bolton pic.twitter.com/t1lMcJoZC2
— Office of the DNI (@ODNIgov) June 18, 2020
The injunction, if released, will escalate a legal fight sparked by US President Donald Trump against the potentially explosive book expected to reveal details about Trump's foreign policy decisions. The DOJ has filed a lawsuit against Bolton, but the author and his publisher have refused to back down on the release of the book.
Sneak peeks have been widely revealed by several media outlets, including Bolton's claims that Trump asked Chinese president Xi Jinping to help him get re-elected in the upcoming 2020 presidential race - a claim that was denied by Trump appointee Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
According to experts, cited by The Washington Post, Trump's DOJ move is unlikely to succeed, since the book is already printed, with early copies distributed to the media and a release scheduled for 23 June.
