(New York, NY) — A federal judge ruled Saturday that John Bolton’s memoir can proceed to publication. PEN America filed an amicus brief arguing that any attempt to halt publication would be a violation of the First Amendment. Nora Benavidez, director of U.S. free expression programs, said the following:
“The court correctly denied the government’s emergency request which would have impeded Bolton’s book from reaching the public. The government’s brazen attempt at prior restraint was rightly stopped in its tracks. As PEN America argued in our amicus brief, the moment for a temporary injunction has passed: The book has already been printed, bound, distributed, even reported on in the media. The court did not reach the question of whether the pre-publication national security review process is being abused for political ends, as this and other cases strongly suggest. We continue to insist that government officials not misuse those safeguards to shield themselves from criticism or embarrassment.”
Click here to read PEN America’s brief in the case. And read more about PEN America’s lawsuit against President Trump here.