A judge in Dutchess County, New York, temporarily blocked the publication of a revealing book by President Trump’s niece, Mary L. Trump, which is due to be released on July 28.
Judge Hal Greenwald of the New York State Supreme Court issued the temporary restraining order until a hearing on July 10 to decide whether Ms. Trump’s book, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the most dangerous man in the world, “he violated a confidentiality agreement he signed with other members of the Trump family regarding a dispute over the estate of Fred Trump Sr., the father of the President.
The judge acted in response to a court action filed by Robert S. Trump, the president’s brother, against Ms. Trump and Simon & Schuster, the book’s publisher. Mrs. Trump is the daughter of Fred Trump Jr., who died in 1981 and separated from his family.
A Trump attorney, Theodore J. Boutrous, promised to appeal the decision.
“The trial court’s temporary restraining order is only temporary, but it is still a pre-restriction preemptive central political discourse that flatly violates the First Amendment,” Boutrous said. “We will immediately appeal. This book, which addresses issues of great public interest and importance about a sitting president in an election year, should not be suppressed for even a day. “
Simon & Schuster officials said they planned to immediately appeal the decision to the Appeals Division of the New York State Supreme Court.
In a statement, Charles Harder, an attorney for Robert Trump, said his client was “very satisfied” with Judge Greenwald’s decision.
“We look forward to vigorously litigating this case, and will seek the maximum available remedies by law for the tremendous damages caused by Mary Trump’s breach of contract and Simon & Schuster’s intentional interference with that contract,” said Harder. “In the absence of corrective measures to immediately stop her heinous conduct, we will continue this case to the end.”
Mrs. Trump’s book has been described as a unique inside look at the Trump family. She is also expected to write that it was the source of an investigation by The New York Times into the president’s personal finances. The Times declined to comment.
Mrs. Trump’s father, Fred Trump Jr., was the oldest of the President’s brothers. An alcoholic, he died at age 41. When the family patriarch, Fred Trump Sr., died a few years later, his estate essentially excluded Fred Trump Jr.’s children from any inheritance.
Mrs. Trump and her brother, Fred Trump III, sued their uncles and aunt, Maryanne, for the property in 2000. The court battle turned ugly, with the President and his siblings cutting off medical care for Fred III, who was born with severe medical problems.
The two sides finally settled the case, and Trump is said to have signed a confidentiality agreement. That deal is what the Trump family says it is violating by moving forward with a book.
Robert Trump’s initial attempt to stop the book with the Queens County, New York substitute court, where the assets of Fred Trump Sr. were originally presented, was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
