US Judge Denies Biden's Bid to Block Memoir Recordings Release

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich rejected former President Joe Biden’s lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop the release of audio recordings and transcripts made for his 2017 memoir with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer. The materials, obtained by Special Counsel Robert Hur during his investigation of Biden’s handling of classified documents, will be turned over to the conservative Heritage Foundation under the Freedom of Information Act. Friedrich wrote that while Biden’s privacy interests are “substantial,” they are outweighed by the public interest and that the Justice Department’s redactions removed any references to family members or other private persons. Biden’s attorneys argue the release infringes on his right to private conversation, citing discussions of his son Beau’s death and personal health matters, but the judge found no “highly sensitive” content remained. The ruling includes a temporary pause of up to three weeks to allow Biden to appeal. The DOJ plans to provide the redacted files to the Heritage Foundation and possibly to congressional committees.