Ex US Defense Secretary sues Pentagon for withholding 'candid' book on Trump Cabinet

Former US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, who worked closely with former US President Donald Trump, alleged that his memoir is improperly withheld by the department he worked for more than two years. According to a lawsuit filed by him in the District Court of Washington, his book, A Sacred Oath, is an "unvarnished and candid memoir" of his time spent in the Trump Cabinet. 

"The period in which Esper was Pentagon chief was an unprecedented time of civil unrest, public health crises, growing threats abroad, Pentagon transformation, and a White House seemingly bent on circumventing the Constitution," the lawsuit read, as cited by AP.

It is worth mentioning that the former US Defence Secretary had worked closely with Trump. However, both were reportedly divided over the use of the military during civil unrest in June 2020 that developed after the death of an African-American man, George Floyd.

US Dept of Defense says Esper memoir has 'classified' information

Trump also reportedly fired Esper as he wanted to place his loyalists on the top position who could favour his decisions in all aspects. Esper claimed that he always tried his best to keep the department "apolitical". Quoting experts, AP reported that firing a defence secretary after an election loss was unprecedented, but the opening allowed Trump to install loyalists in top Pentagon positions as he continued to dispute his election loss.

Meanwhile, a counter-lawsuit filed by the Department of Defense claimed the memoir was held under the guise of classification. However, Esper claimed it contain no "classified information" related to the department or the post he held. The suit notes that Esper is restricted by his secrecy agreements from authorising publication without Pentagon approval or face possible civil and criminal liability.

'Department takes seriously its obligation to balance national security': Kirby

Esper said he had been asked not to quote former President and others in meetings. Also, he was told not to describe conversations he had with Trump, and not to use certain "verbs or nouns" when describing historical events.

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the department was aware of Esper’s concerns. "As with all such reviews, the Department takes seriously its obligation to balance national security with an author’s narrative desire. Given that this matter is now under litigation, we will refrain from commenting further," he said in a statement.

Esper's memoir is scheduled to launch in May next year. 

(With inputs from AP, Image: AP)