Former US President Joe Biden is taking legal action against the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to prevent the release of interviews he gave to his ghostwriter, which are now part of a special counsel investigation into the mishandling of classified documents.
According to reports, the records include 70 hours of audio recordings and transcripts of conversations between Biden and ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer, recorded while Zwonitzer was working on Biden’s 2017 memoir. The recordings were obtained by special counsel Robert Hur, who was appointed to investigate whether Biden had unlawfully retained classified documents at his home after serving as vice president under Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017.
Classification and Investigation
In May, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act seeking access to the files. Biden’s lawyers argue that releasing them would violate his privacy. As stated in the lawsuit, the US Department of Justice should respect the privacy of all Americans, including former presidents.
Biden’s lawyers claim that “every American, including a sitting or former vice president, has a right to privacy in the personal conversations he has within his own home.” The lawsuit aims to block the release of the recordings, which could potentially damage Biden’s reputation.
Previous Investigation Findings
In his final report released in 2024, Hur concluded that Biden had “willfully retained and disclosed” classified materials, including documents related to military policy in Afghanistan, but declined to recommend criminal charges. Hur wrote that Biden’s memory appeared “significantly limited” during both the 2017 interviews with the ghostwriter and later interviews with the special counsel.
The following are key points about the investigation:
- Biden’s memory was significantly limited during interviews.
- No criminal charges were recommended.
- The investigation found that Biden had willfully retained and disclosed classified materials.
As the US presidential election approaches, concerns about Biden’s declining health continue to be a topic of discussion. The outcome of this lawsuit may have implications for Biden’s reputation and potentially impact the upcoming election.
