Prof. Kitrosser Quoted in New York Times About DOJ’s Lawsuit Over Melania Trump Book

Professor Heidi Kitrosser is quoted in a New York Times article about a new lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice against ex-Melania Trump aide Stephanie Wolcott. The Department alleges that Wolcott violated an agreement not to publish anything about her time in the White House without first receiving written approval. As the Times reported, courts have never upheld “pre-publication review” agreements with government employees outside of the national security context. More so, as Kitrosser explains in the article, some of the Justice Department’s arguments—such as their argument that the First Lady requires absolute secrecy to ensure candor from her advisors—echo points “traditionally made about keeping secrets between the presidents and his advisers, not first ladies. ... Even in the presidential context, courts have found that the president does not have an unlimited right to keep secrets.”