US appeals court temporarily blocks release of Biden interview tapes

A three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit — Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan, Judge Gregory Katsas and Judge Florence Pan — issued an administrative injunction on Friday that prevents the Justice Department from releasing roughly 70 hours of audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interviews with his ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer. The order bars release to the Heritage Foundation and its former Oversight Project director Mike Howell until 11:59 p.m. on July 20, preserving the status quo while the court reviews Biden’s emergency appeal for a longer injunction. The judges stressed that the injunction is not a ruling on the merits of the case.

The recordings, made in 2016‑2017 while Biden worked on his memoir, were obtained during former special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents after his vice‑presidency. A district judge had previously ordered the tapes to be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act; Biden appealed, arguing a privacy interest. The appellate court’s temporary block delays the Heritage Foundation’s FOIA request pending further judicial review.