Trump Attorney Sends Bannon Cease And Desist Letter Over 'Disparaging' Comments

[edpc]

Lawyers on behalf of President Donald Trump sent a letter Wednesday night to former White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon demanding he refrain from making disparaging comments against the president and his family.

The letter comes after excerpts from a forthcoming book by journalist Michael Wolff were made public Wednesday, causing a stir.

Trump attorney Charles J. Harder of the firm Harder Mirell & Abrams LLP, said in a statement, "This law firm represents President Donald J. Trump and Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. 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. Legal action is imminent."

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/trump-attorney-sends-bannon-cease-desist-letter-over-033604423--abc-news-topstories.html

[edpc]

The collision of two self-promoters who never know when to say ‘when.’

 

[Oceander]

Exactly

[Cyber Liberty]

So, what's this squirrel meant to distract us from?

[WingNot]

So, what's this squirrel meant to distract us from?

I don't know but its probably something huge!

[Silver Pines]

Just like that, the duel over who has the bigger button is pushed out of the news cycle.

So far the second season of Trump is almost as good as Stranger Things.

[Sanguine]

The collision of two self-promoters who never know when to say ‘when.’

 

Yeah, interesting times.

[Concerned]

I sure hope Trump sues Bannon to enforce the cease and desist letter.  Legal analyses note that would open up all parties to discovery, and Trump would have to prove that a statement made by Bannon was false, damaging, and delivered with actual malice.

[Neverdul]

Trump trying to stop publication of explosive book about his presidency: report

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/367390-trump-trying-to-stop-publication-of-explosive-book-about-his

President Trump is reportedly attempting to stop the publication of “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” Michael Wolff’s explosive new book about his campaign and presidency.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that Trump’s attorneys have sent a cease-and-desist letter to the book's publisher, demanding that Henry Holt & Company not publish the book and apologize to the president.

The letter, according to the Post, demands that Henry Holt & Co. “immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the book,” including excerpts and summaries of the book’s contents, and requests a copy of the book in its entirety as they pursue possible legal action.

[Cyber Liberty]

Trump trying to stop publication of explosive book about his presidency: report

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/367390-trump-trying-to-stop-publication-of-explosive-book-about-his

Yeah, I heard that on the drive in to work this morning.  My eyes rolled so far I almost rolled my car over on the sidewalk.

[Cripplecreek]

I wouldn't count on courts upholding the validity of an NDA in this case.

NDAs have their place primarily in business but short of national security issues, what goes on in government is our business.

[Neverdul]

I wouldn't count on courts upholding the validity of an NDA in this case.

NDAs have their place primarily in business but short of national security issues, what goes on in government is our business.

Yep. I agree. There is also something called whistleblower protection, not that it applies here with respect to Bannon and others quoted in the book.

I recall reading some articles back during the campaign about the NDA’s the Trump campaign were making even low level volunteers sign.  Most of the legal opinions were of a mind they were unenforceable.

The fact Bannon was stating his personal opinions particularly with respect to Junior, I don’t think an NDA would apply. 

[Cyber Liberty]

Yep. I agree. There is also something called whistleblower protection, not that it applies here with respect to Bannon and others quoted in the book.

I recall reading some articles back during the campaign about the NDA’s the Trump campaign were making even low level volunteers sign.  Most of the legal opinions were of a mind they were unenforceable.

The fact Bannon was stating his personal opinions particularly with respect to Junior, I don’t think an NDA would apply.

I pondered the issue of a NDA a couple months ago and someone (might have been you) pointed out that Trump's not working in a Corporate environment now, it's Government, where sunshine and whistle-blower laws are in effect.

[kevindavis007]

Wow another side show..

[Cyber Liberty]

I wouldn't count on courts upholding the validity of an NDA in this case.

NDAs have their place primarily in business but short of national security issues, what goes on in government is our business.

^^^^ This

[Cyber Liberty]

Wow another side show..

"Look!  A squirrel!"

And Kim Jun il disappears from the papers, just like that.

[Suppressed]

He's a fighter!

I hear Trump's theme song whenever I read things he does.  Entrance of the Gladiators, op. 68, by Julius Fučík

! No longer available

Anyone else?

[WingNot]

"Look!  A squirrel!"

And Kim Jun il disappears from the papers, just like that.

They really are that gullible in the press aren't they.  They prove it daily just in case we forget!

[Cripplecreek]

I pondered the issue of a NDA a couple months ago and someone (might have been you) pointed out that Trump's not working in a Corporate environment now, it's Government, where sunshine and whistle-blower laws are in effect.

One of the more irritating things from the campaign was people saying "Trump's a businessman and government needs to run like a business".

The fact is that business exists to make money and grow which are the last things we want government to do. Government should strive to remain small and frugal.

Unfortunately Trump sees small and frugal as something for losers.

[driftdiver]

I wouldn't count on courts upholding the validity of an NDA in this case.

NDAs have their place primarily in business but short of national security issues, what goes on in government is our business.

@Cripplecreek
Go ahead and test that, I dare ya.

There are laws which delineate what information is public and what is not.  Most of what occurs in the White House is classified and covered under those laws.   It is also covered under privilege.   Very little is not protected and can only be release through a court order.

I still have about 55 years left on my NDA and have no doubt they would enforce it.  Not that I remember much of anything.

[Neverdul]

I pondered the issue of a NDA a couple months ago and someone (might have been you) pointed out that Trump's not working in a Corporate environment now, it's Government, where sunshine and whistle-blower laws are in effect.

Might have been. I’ve worked in the corporate world and had to sign NDA’s but it was pretty much to protect intellectual property and trade secrets. One of the companies I worked for, a manufacturer definitely had some proprietary formulations and manufacturing processes that were important for them to protect from competitors. But this same company, UK owned had a whistleblower hotline where employees could report all sorts of things they felt were either against written company policy or illegal or unethical and supposedly were protected against any type of retribution.  Working as the Payroll/HRIS manager but being in the HR department I knew of a couple of complaints filed.

I thought about filing one myself once, the president of the company had the company write a check to a local politician’s re-election campaign which was not only against company and corporate policy but also illegal in PA as we were a corporation. The politician was actually honest enough to return the check. But then the president replaced it with his own personal check but then got reimbursed for it via an expense report.

I debated it in my mind, especially since the politician was a conservative Republican but then again  our president was big nasty jerk.  I even talked to my boss about it but she advised me it was probably best for my career to just ignore and hope that one of our auditors caught it. And I had plausible deniability because even as I processed expense report payments via payroll, I had no role in reviewing or approving them and it was the CFO who supposedly reviewed and signed off on the president’s expense reports, my only role in the process was to process the payments.

We also had our sales reps and some others like some in engineering sign non-compete agreements but our labor law attorney advised us that they were pretty much not even worth the paper they were written on and we rarely if ever tried to enforce them.

[driftdiver]

Might have been. I’ve worked in the corporate world and had to sign NDA’s but it was pretty much to protect intellectual property and trade secrets. One of the companies I worked for, a manufacturer definitely had some proprietary formulations and manufacturing processes that were important for them to protect from competitors. But this same company, UK owned had a whistleblower hotline where employees could report all sorts of things they felt were either against written company policy or illegal or unethical and supposedly were protected against any type of retribution.  Working as the Payroll/HRIS manager but being in the HR department I knew of a couple of complaints filed.

I thought about filing one myself once, the president of the company had the company write a check to a local politician’s re-election campaign which was not only against company and corporate policy but also illegal in PA as we were a corporation. The politician was actually honest enough to return the check. But then the president replaced it with his own personal check but then got reimbursed for it via an expense report.

I debated it in my mind, especially since the politician was a conservative Republican but then again  our president was big nasty jerk.  I even talked to my boss about it but she advised me it was probably best for my career to just ignore and hope that one of our auditors caught it. And I had plausible deniability because even as I processed expense report payments via payroll, I had no role in reviewing or approving them and it was the CFO who supposedly reviewed and signed off on the president’s expense reports, my only role in the process was to process the payments.

We also had our sales reps and some others like some in engineering sign non-compete agreements but our labor law attorney advised us that they were pretty much not even worth the paper they were written on and we rarely if ever tried to enforce them.

@Neverdul
you sign NDAs with the government too.   They have the backing of federal law so they are even easier to enforce.   I have copies of about 15 that I've signed.   none for the White House though, so Bannon doesn't need to call me.

[GrouchoTex]

Interesting, that it is "cease and desist" charge over a NDA, rather than libel or slander charges....

[edpc]

I wouldn't count on courts upholding the validity of an NDA in this case.

NDAs have their place primarily in business but short of national security issues, what goes on in government is our business.

The thing is, this is being done to protect his branding empire and has little to do with security.

The letter then cites parts of Paragraph 8 of the Agreement: "Consent to Injunction. A breach of any of your promises or agreements under this agreement will cause the Company, Mr. Trump and each other Trump Person irreparable harm.

Trump Persons......LOL

[Cripplecreek]

Might have been. I’ve worked in the corporate world and had to sign NDA’s but it was pretty much to protect intellectual property and trade secrets. One of the companies I worked for, a manufacturer definitely had some proprietary formulations and manufacturing processes that were important for them to protect from competitors. But this same company, UK owned had a whistleblower hotline where employees could report all sorts of things they felt were either against written company policy or illegal or unethical and supposedly were protected against any type of retribution.  Working as the Payroll/HRIS manager but being in the HR department I knew of a couple of complaints filed.

I thought about filing one myself once, the president of the company had the company write a check to a local politician’s re-election campaign which was not only against company and corporate policy but also illegal in PA as we were a corporation. The politician was actually honest enough to return the check. But then the president replaced it with his own personal check but then got reimbursed for it via an expense report.

I debated it in my mind, especially since the politician was a conservative Republican but then again  our president was big nasty jerk.  I even talked to my boss about it but she advised me it was probably best for my career to just ignore and hope that one of our auditors caught it. And I had plausible deniability because even as I processed expense report payments via payroll, I had no role in reviewing or approving them and it was the CFO who supposedly reviewed and signed off on the president’s expense reports, my only role in the process was to process the payments.

We also had our sales reps and some others like some in engineering sign non-compete agreements but our labor law attorney advised us that they were pretty much not even worth the paper they were written on and we rarely if ever tried to enforce them.

I had to sign a non disclosure agreement for my job recently. I may be a lowly hospital porter but I have access to and handle private medical documents but I have a federal HIPAA law to back it up.

Just last night I went around the building and collected all the padlocked big brown trash cans from behind locked doors and take them all downstairs and lock them in a storage space near the loading dock. Right about now the day porter should be watching the guy from the shredder company shred the documents so the cans can be taken back to their spots.

We humans are the weak link which is why we have to sign the NDA. Its all to protect patient privacy but I suspect of we saw wrongdoing on the part of the hospital we would fall under whistleblower protections.