Trump Family Suit to Block Niece’s Tell-All Tossed by Court
Court Tosses Lawsuit Seeking to Block Trump Niece Tell-All Book
(Bloomberg) -- A New York judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump’s brother seeking to block the publication of a tell-all book by their niece Mary Trump, though the complaint is set to be refiled in another court.
Robert Trump filed the suit Tuesday in Queens probate court, arguing that the book’s publication would violate confidentiality agreements relating to the settlement of the will of Fred Trump, his and the president’s father.
The probate court said Thursday it was not the proper forum for such a case. Judge Peter Kelly said Robert Trump should have filed suit in trial court in Manhattan. Though the Queens probate court is where Fred Trump’s estate was settled, Kelly said that proceeding ended in 2001 and no longer exists.
Charles Harder, Robert Trump’s lawyer in the matter, said his client would file a new lawsuit in Manhattan.
Calling the lawsuit a “baseless request to suppress a book of utmost public importance,” Mary Trump’s lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, expressed hope that Thursday’s ruling would end the legal fight. “Democracy thrives on the free exchange of ideas, and neither this court nor any other has authority to violate the Constitution by imposing a prior restraint on core political speech,” Boutrous said.
Mary Trump’s book, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” which is due to be published on July 28, will include purported psychological observations about her “toxic” family, according to the lawsuit. It’s also expected to reveal her role as a primary source for the New York Times’s investigation into the president’s taxes, and to detail her claim that the family’s mistreatment of her father, Fred Trump Jr., contributed to his early death.
“I am deeply disappointed in my niece Mary’s decision to write a book concerning our family,” Robert Trump said in a statement earlier in the week. “Her attempt to sensationalize and mischaracterize our family relationship after all of these years for her own financial gain is both a travesty and injustice to the memory of my late brother Fred and our beloved parents.”
Simon & Schuster, the book’s publisher, said in a statement that it was pleased with Thursday’s ruling. The company said it was “confident we will prevail should there be further efforts to stifle this publication.”
The Trump Organization, the family company, issued a statement by Mary Trump’s brother, Fred Trump III. “My wife, children and I have a strong relationship with our extended family,” he said. “We had no involvement with the preparation of this book, which is a breach of trust and a violation of our privacy.”
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