Biden Sues to Halt Release of Interview Tapes With Ghostwriter

The 70 hours of partially redacted audio recordings were obtained during a 2023 probe into Biden’s handling of classified documents.

Joe Biden

The suit argues the Judiciary request is a superficial attempt to disclose Former President Joe Biden’s conversations “for the sake of exposure, among other improper purposes.” Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Former President Joe Biden is suing the Justice Department to block the release of private audio recordings conducted while he was working with a memoir ghostwriter several years ago.

The DOJ plans to release the tapes and transcript on June 15, prompted by a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit from the Heritage Foundation filed in 2024 and a request from House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan made in March of this year. Biden’s suit seeks to permanently prevent the department from releasing information to the committee.

The recordings and transcripts Biden made with Mark Zwonitzer for the 2017 book titled “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose” are expected to be edited for privacy and not include classified information.