DOJ threatens anonymous author of anti-Trump book: 'Protected info' must be submitted for 'pre-publication review'

The anonymous author of a new anti-Trump book is getting a warning from the Justice Department that he or she may be in violation of "one or more nondisclosure agreements," CNN Business reports.

"If the author is, in fact, a current or former 'senior official' in the Trump Administration, publication of the book may violate that official's legal obligations under one or more nondisclosure agreements, including nondisclosure agreements that are routinely required with respect to information obtained in the course of one's official responsibilities or as a condition for access to classified information," assistant attorney general Joseph H. Hunt wrote in the letter.

But according to the publisher of A Warning, the Justice Department's message has no merit and the book's publishing will go forward as planned.

"Our author knows that the President is determined to unmask whistleblowers who may be in his midst. That's one of the reasons A WARNING was written," the literacy agency Javelin said in a statement. "But we support the publisher in its resolve that the administration's effort to intimidate and expose the senior official who has seen misconduct at the highest levels will not prevent this book from moving forward."

The book is scheduled to be released on November 19 and was reportedly authored by the same Trump administration official who penned a New York Times op-ed that signaled a warning from inside the White House about Trump's incompetence. As CNN Business points out, there's a chance the author's identity could be revealed during the book's rollout. However, Trump has been working to out the author's identity since last year.

In the Justice Department's letter, Hunt argued that "any written work potentially containing protected information be submitted for pre-publication review."