Potential Ghostwriting Scandal Involving James Patterson, Little, Brown, and a Jeffrey Epstein Book

In a lawyer's letter, I'd suggest including the following points--not necessarily legal, but a warning about how a press campaign might unfold (publishers are more worried about being caught in negative media controversy than they are of legal threats): 1) Little, Brown has made on the record representations to at least one well-known journalist that it was not publishing a book by James Patterson about Jeffrey Epstein--possibly an effort to avoid inquiries about the questionable nature of the book; 2) The actual author of the book, John Connolly, is someone other than the stated author, James Patterson. Connolly is known to have developed an obsession with Epstein, such that, his longtime employer, Vanity Fair, has refused to allow him to write about Epstein for the magazine; 3) Sources have confirmed for us that Patterson has had little more than a minimal consulting role in the book, and that Connolly has functioned in every material way as the book's researcher and writer. We believe Patterson's "authorship" of the book will not stand up to scrutiny. And, indeed, that the entire notion of an extension of the Patterson franchise into nonfiction, as it has been used in fiction and children's book-- effectively other authors writing under the Patterson name—presents a host of journalism ethical issues. please note The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may constitute inside information, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. It is the property of JEE Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_032247