- An attorney for President Donald Trump reportedly sent a letter to Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, in light of disparaging remarks Bannon was quoted as saying in a coming book detailing the inner workings of the White House.
- The letter accuses Bannon of disclosing confidential information and making “outright defamatory statements.”
- The letter also suggested that Trump may seek monetary damages.
Following the release of excerpts from a bombshell new book in which former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon was quoted making disparaging remarks toward President Donald Trump and members of his family, Trump’s attorneys reportedly sent a letter to Bannon threatening “imminent” legal action Wednesday night.
“On behalf of our clients, legal notice was issued today to Stephen K. Bannon, that his actions of communicating with author Michael Wolff regarding an upcoming book give rise to numerous legal claims including defamation by libel and slander, and breach of his written confidentiality and non-disparagement agreement with our clients,” Trump attorney Charles Harder wrote in the letter, cited by ABC News. “Legal action is imminent,” it said.
Harder’s letter claimed that Bannon, in speaking with author and columnist Michael Wolff, had breached a non-disclosure agreement allegedly signed by Trump campaign staffers. Trump’s lawyer accused Bannon of “disclosing confidential information,” and “making disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements.”
Harder also suggested that Trump may seek monetary damages for Bannon’s alleged agreement breach, according to ABC News.
The book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," was said to have been sourced from over 200 interviews during an 18-month time span. Based on excerpts of the book, it gives an intimate behind-the-scenes look at Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and the months that followed his inauguration.
Among many other things, the excerpts show that Bannon was quoted describing a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., a Russia-linked lawyer and others as "treasonous" and "unpatriotic." He also called Trump's daughter, Ivanka, "dumb as a brick."
Trump earlier Wednesday issued a fiery statement responding specifically to Bannon's remarks: "Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency," Trump said. "When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind."
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also went on the offensive and attempted to delegitimize Wolff's book by calling it "false & misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House."
"Participating in a book that can only be described as trashy tabloid fiction exposes their sad desperate attempts at relevancy," Sanders said.
Bannon's representatives did not immediately respond to comments on the pending legal action Wednesday evening.