WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that former national security adviser John Bolton can move forward in publishing his tell-all book.
The Trump administration had tried to block the release because of concerns that classified information could be exposed.
The decision from U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth on Saturday was a victory for Bolton in a court case that involved core First Amendment and national security concerns.
But the judge also made clear his concerns that Bolton had “gambled with the national security of the United States” by opting out of a prepublication review process meant to prevent government officials from spilling classified secrets in memoirs.
A PDF of “The Room Where It Happened” has turned up on the internet, offering a free, pirated edition of the former national security adviser’s scathing takedown of President Donald Trump, who has alleged that the book contains classified material that never should have been released. Publisher Simon & Schuster pledged to have the PDF taken down.
