Biden sues Justice Department to stop release of audio and transcripts tied to special counsel probe
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden filed a lawsuit Ministry of Justice Tuesday in an effort to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts of his interview with the ghostwriter obtained by the special counsel investigating the former president’s handling of classified documents.
Biden’s lawyers said in a lawsuit filed in Washington federal court that the Justice Department plans to release the files to Congress and the Heritage Foundation, a conservative group, after the department previously argued they were immune from disclosure under the public records law.
Biden’s lawyers argued that the statement would “constitute an unwarranted invasion of President Biden’s privacy.”
“Every American has the right to the privacy of personal conversations in his or her own home, including that of a sitting or former Vice President,” his lawyers wrote. “And when the U.S. Department of Justice obtains this proprietary information through a criminal investigation, the Department has a special responsibility to protect that information from disclosure.”
The case includes audio recordings and transcripts of interviews Biden had with Mark Zwonitzer, who worked on two memoirs, at his home in 2016 and 2017. The files were reviewed by special prosecutor Robert Hur as part of the president’s investigation. improper storage of confidential documentssince his time as senator and vice president.
Hur’s yearlong investigation led to a 345-page report that questioned Biden’s age and mental competency but did not recommend any criminal charges against the then-81-year-old. Hur said he could not find enough evidence to successfully pursue a case in court.
Biden separately fought the release of an audio recording of his interview with Hur. House votes to keep Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2024 in contempt of Congress Because he refused to hand over that audio after the White House exercised executive privilege and shielded it from Congress.
Transcripts five-hour Biden interview He was released with federal prosecutors the same year. Although Biden insists that he treats classified information seriously, the minutes show the following: was at times uncertain about dates and details and said he was unfamiliar with the paper trail of some of the sensitive documents he handled.
Republicans argued that Biden was given a warrant by his own Justice Department and that Trump was unfairly victimized by prosecutors. Democrats, however, emphasized Biden’s cooperation in the investigation and strongly contrasted it with the separate criminal case against Trump, who is accused of refusing to return classified documents requested by the National Archives and located at his Florida mansion.
