ACLU Comment on DOJ Attempt to Coerce Anonymous Book Publisher

NEW YORK — The Department of Justice reportedly issued a letter demanding identifying details from the Hatchette Book Group about the senior Trump administration official who last year wrote an anonymous op-ed about the president. The Hatchette Book Group is expected to publish an anonymous book by the same administration official that penned the op-ed.

Below is comment from Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, in response:

“This is a wholly inappropriate and legally baseless attempt by the government to coerce a publisher into revealing an author’s identity. It’s no different than a demand that a newspaper divulge the identity of a confidential source. The publisher is under no obligation to comply.”