June 18, 2020
Statement from AAP President and CEO Maria Pallante on the Justice Department Lawsuit Against John Bolton for the Publication of His Book THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED: A WHITE HOUSE MEMOIR
Below is a statement from AAP President and CEO Maria A. Pallante regarding the United States Justice Department’s lawsuit against former National Security Advisor John Bolton regarding his forthcoming book The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.
“The ability to publish books without censorship or interference is fundamental to free speech, public discourse, and the rights of the governed. These principles are more true, not less, when the author is a former National Security Advisor writing about his experiences at the highest levels of our government.
“It is also true that speech can sometimes be uncomfortable, particularly for those who are its subject. In such situations, the appropriate answer is more speech and more debate, but never censorship or the threat thereof. To suppress the speech of authors and publishers is to suppress our democracy.
“In this instance, we urge the Administration to reconsider its course of action against the author, which interferes with his right to speak, the publisher’s right to publish, and the public’s right to read. This is not to say that the vetting of classified national security information is an exercise that should be undertaken lightly, but rather that such review must be undertaken both judiciously and expeditiously.”
# # #