Former US President Joe Biden has filed a lawsuit against the federal government to stop the release of audio recordings from interviews conducted with the ghostwriter of his memoir.
Biden described the recordings as private information, although critics believe they may contain details that could raise further concerns about his memory and mental sharpness.
Special Counsel Robert Hur obtained the recordings and transcripts while investigating Biden’s handling of classified documents. Although Hur concluded that Biden had improperly retained certain records, he decided not to recommend criminal charges.
However, Hur’s 2024 report drew major political attention after it questioned Biden’s fitness for office and described limitations in his memory.
The interviews were conducted with writer Mark Zwonitzer during the preparation of Biden’s 2017 memoir Promise Me, Dad, which focused on the death of his son Beau Biden in 2015.
According to Hur’s report, Biden referred to notebooks from his time as vice president, some of which appeared to contain classified information.
Hur also stated that Biden’s memory appeared to have significant limitations and described the interviews as painfully slow, saying Biden struggled at times to remember events and read his own notes.
The report intensified debate in Washington over Biden’s age and health, especially after his poor debate performance during the presidential campaign, which eventually led him to end his re-election bid.
Republicans later sought the interview recordings as part of impeachment-related investigations, while the conservative Heritage Foundation also pursued legal efforts to obtain the material.
The Justice Department had previously opposed releasing the recordings due to privacy concerns, but under President Donald Trump’s administration, officials changed their position.
A Justice Department spokesperson said the recordings clearly demonstrate a significant decline in Biden’s cognitive abilities and argued that the American public should be allowed to hear them and make their own judgment.
In the lawsuit, Biden’s lawyers argued that the conversations were private and sensitive and protected under the Privacy Act. They also accused the Justice Department of improperly attempting to expose Biden’s private discussions for political purposes.
