A New York court has rejected an attempt to block the publication of a book that claims to tell the inside story of the Trump family by the niece of the American president.
Queens County Substitute Judge Peter Kelly said Thursday that “various irregularities” in the filing of Robert Trump, the president’s younger brother, meant that the attempt to stop the book was “fatally flawed.”
The lawsuit was about a confidentiality agreement that Mary Trump signed in 2001, related to litigation over the will of family patriarch Fred Trump. Kelly said the matter was closed, and therefore the attempt to block the book could not be carried out in her court.
Ted Boutros, an attorney for Mary Trump, said in a statement: “The court has quickly and correctly held that it lacks jurisdiction to grant the Trump family’s unfounded request to delete a book of paramount importance and public concern.”
“We hope this decision ends the matter. Democracy thrives on the free exchange of ideas, and neither this court nor any other has the authority to violate the constitution by imposing a prior restriction on the central political discourse. “
But there appears to be little doubt that the matter won’t end, as Kelly suggested that the Trump family could try to block the book in New York’s supreme court.
Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man will be released on July 28.
According to editor Simon & Schuster, also behind John Bolton’s revelation that a federal judge declined to block last week, Mary Trump, a trained clinical psychologist, “will offer a” revealing and authoritative portrait of Donald J Trump and the toxic family who they made him. “
The publisher also promises “a nightmare of trauma, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse.”
Mary Trump has voiced her opposition to her uncle on Twitter and was reportedly a key source for the winning New York Times Pulitzer reports on the Trump family’s tax affairs.
In an interview with the Axios news site last week, Donald Trump said: “You are not allowed to write a book. You know, when we came to an agreement with her and her brother, with whom I have a good relationship … she … signed a confidentiality statement.
On Thursday, Mary Trump’s brother told the Daily Mail that he believed his sister should not be allowed to post.
In a statement, which the Courier said was provided by Eric Trump, the second son of the President, Fred Trump III said: “The moment our lawsuit with the family was settled, Mary and I received a generous financial settlement from the family and we were more than willing to agree to implement confidentiality provisions … in my opinion, those provisions of the 2001 resolution agreement are still in force and binding today. “
Mary Trump and Fred Trump III are the children of Fred Trump Jr, the president’s older brother who left the family business and died of heart problems from alcoholism in 1981, at the age of 42.
Donald Trump has three surviving brothers: Robert Trump, a businessman; Maryanne Trump Barry, a retired judge; and Elizabeth Trump Grau, a retired banker. Robert Trump, 72, was reported to have spent 10 days in intensive care before presenting his attempt to apprehend his niece.
In a statement to the New York Times after he left the hospital, the businessman said: “His attempt to sensationalize and mischaracterize our family relationship after all these years for his own financial gain is a parody and injustice to the memory of my deceased. brother Fred and our dear parents. “
“I and the rest of my family are very proud of my wonderful brother, the President, and we feel that Mary’s actions are truly a disgrace.”
