Key facts
- A federal judge ruled the Justice Department can release audio recordings and transcripts of President Biden's interviews with his memoir ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer.
- The judge denied Biden's attempt to block the release, stating the public interest outweighed his privacy claims.
- The release is temporarily blocked for three weeks to allow for an appeals court to review Biden's challenge.
- The Heritage Foundation sued to obtain the materials under the Freedom of Information Act, citing public interest in Biden's mental faculties.
- The recordings were a key part of former special counsel Robert Hur's investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents.
A federal judge has ruled that the Justice Department can release audio recordings and transcripts of President Biden's interviews with his memoir ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, to the conservative Heritage Foundation. Judge Dabney Langhorne Friedrich denied Biden's attempt to block the release, citing a significant public interest in the materials that outweighed his privacy claims. The judge noted that extensive redactions by the DOJ had mitigated privacy concerns.
However, the release is on hold for three weeks to allow an appeals court to review Biden's challenge. The legal battle stems from interviews conducted in 2016 and 2017, which were a substantial part of former special counsel Robert Hur's investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents. While the DOJ had previously released transcripts, it refused to share the audio files, citing executive privilege. The Heritage Foundation filed a lawsuit in 2024, arguing for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act due to public interest in Biden's mental faculties and memory. Hur's investigation concluded without criminal charges, but noted Biden's poor memory. The DOJ later informed Biden of its intent to release the audio files.