A federal judge on Friday denied Joe Biden’s request to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts from interviews tied to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents.
The recordings were made during conversations between Biden and his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, and were cited by Hur in his 2024 report. Hur ultimately declined to bring charges but pointed to Biden’s memory and mental state as factors in his decision.
Biden argued that releasing the tapes would violate his privacy and claimed the Justice Department’s decision to release them was improper. Judge Dabney Friedrich disagreed, finding that the government had heavily redacted sensitive material, including information about Biden’s family, private individuals, health issues, and national security matters.
The judge ruled that the public has a strong interest in hearing evidence that played a key role in Hur’s decision not to prosecute Biden, especially because the recordings were directly referenced in the special counsel’s report.
While the court acknowledged that releasing the recordings could cause Biden some harm, Friedrich concluded that the public interest outweighed those concerns and denied his request for an injunction, allowing the materials to be released.
Read the opinion here.
