U.S. Appeals Court Rejects Biden's Attempt to Block Memoir Recordings

A three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a 2‑1 decision rejecting former President Joe Biden’s bid to stop the release of audio recordings and transcripts from his 2016‑2017 interviews with memoir ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer. The majority, Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan and Judge Gregory Katsas, held that the public interest in the material — which was obtained by Special Counsel Robert Hur during his investigation of Biden’s handling of classified documents — outweighs Biden’s privacy claims. Redactions will be applied to protect personal details. Judge Florence Pan, appointed by Biden, dissented, emphasizing a substantial privacy interest. The court stayed enforcement of the ruling until August 3, giving Biden time to seek further appeal. The Heritage Foundation and House Republicans had sued for the records under the Freedom of Information Act, arguing the tapes illuminate the special‑counsel investigation, which concluded without charges.