Biden Ghostwriter Tapes

Court fight over release of Biden interview transcripts and related inquiry materials.

Judge denies Biden bid to block release of recordings tied to classified documents probe

Judge allows release of Biden memoir audio to Heritage Foundation

Biden Just Got More Time to Conceal Tapes of Interview With Ghostwriter

Summary

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U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich rejected former President Joe Biden’s request to block the Justice Department from releasing redacted audio recordings and transcripts of his conversations with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer. The materials, tied to special counsel Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation and Biden’s 2017 memoir work, were sought through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the Heritage Foundation and staffer Mike Howell. Friedrich found that Biden’s privacy interests did not outweigh the public interest in disclosure, clearing the way for the Trump administration’s Justice Department to provide the records to the conservative group and, in some accounts, Congress. The ruling marks a significant setback for Biden’s effort to keep the recordings private, though the release remains subject to appellate review.

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Appeal delay

After denying Biden’s request for a preliminary injunction, Friedrich temporarily halted release of the ghostwriter recordings and transcripts to give an appeals court time to consider the former president’s challenge. The delay gives Biden roughly three more weeks to try to prevent disclosure of the Hur-related materials.