A top aide to former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is suing the Pentagon, alleging it has “unreasonably” delayed the publication of his memoir to benefit Mattis, whose own book is being released next week.
Guy Snodgrass, who served as Mattis’ director of communications and speechwriter, expected to release his memoir, Holding the Line: Inside Trump’s Pentagon with Secretary Mattis, on Oct. 29.
But he has accused the Pentagon of slow-walking the approval of his manuscript and demanding that he redact large portions of unclassified information “with the acquiescence, if not complicity of” Mattis.
“DoD has also implicitly threatened Snodgrass with potential legal and/or administrative retaliation were he to violate alleged loyalty oaths sought by SecDef Mattis that have absolutely no application or lawful effect on him,” the lawsuit says.
Snodgrass said the Pentagon “has deliberately delayed issuing formal and final approval of Snodgrass’ manuscript as a retaliatory and punishing tactic, particularly with the consent and apparent approval of former SecDef Mattis.”
Snodgrass and his lawyers claimed in the lawsuit that “numerous sources” within the Defense Department said the final approval of the manuscript was “intentionally withheld” to allow Mattis’ book to be published first.
The delay of the manuscript’s approval pushes back the book’s publication and will cause financial harm to Snodgrass, the complaint says.
The lawsuit was filed after the Wall Street Journal published an essay adapted from Mattis’ book, Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead. A day later, The Atlantic published an interview with the former defense secretary. In both accounts, Mattis took swipes at President Trump.
The complaint describes Snodgrass’ book as a “firsthand account” of how Mattis led the military “through global and domestic challenges.”
[Read more: ‘Whiny Puppy Mattis’: Ex-CNN host unloads on Trump’s former Pentagon chief]
