Former Pentagon chief sues to publish material in memoir

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper claims in a lawsuit against the Defense Department that material is being improperly withheld from his use as he seeks to publish an “unvarnished and candid memoir” of his time in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. The lawsuit was filed Sunday in U.S. District Court in Washington. The suit says the memoir, “A Sacred Oath,” covers Esper’s 18 months as defense secretary. Trump fired Esper in a tweet just days after the president lost his reelection bid. The suit claims that the book is being improperly held under the guise of classification and that Esper maintains it contains no classified information.