Joe Biden sues DOJ to block release of private interview tapes

Former President Joe Biden has filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the Justice Department from releasing audio recordings and transcripts that were seized during Special Counsel Robert Hur’s probe into Biden’s handling of classified documents. The recordings were made in 2016‑2017 at Biden’s home with his ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer while he worked on memoir material. The DOJ has provided a transcript but has refused to release the full audio, prompting Republican lawmakers to demand it.

Biden’s legal team argues that the conversations are private and that releasing them would violate his privacy rights, citing the complaint’s statement that “every American…has a right to privacy in the personal conversations he has within his own home.” The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, known for overseeing Jan. 6‑related cases. The lawsuit raises questions about privacy protections for former officials under criminal investigations and may affect future congressional oversight of classified‑document inquiries.