Biden sues Justice Department to stop release of audio from interviews

Key Points:

• Former President Joe Biden filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts of his private conversations with the ghostwriter of his 2017 memoir, citing privacy concerns.
• The lawsuit responds to a Freedom of Information Act request by the conservative Heritage Foundation, which seeks the materials related to Biden’s discussions with Mark Zwonitzer during the writing of "Promise Me, Dad."
• The Justice Department initially withheld the materials but reversed its position during the Trump administration, notifying Biden in February 2024 of its intention to release the recordings and transcripts with limited redactions on June 15.
• Biden’s legal team argues that these personal conversations are exempt from FOIA disclosure, emphasizing the right to privacy for all Americans, including former vice presidents.
• The Heritage Foundation’s request is tied to a 2023 report on Biden’s handling of classified documents, which included descriptions of memory lapses confirmed by the audio recordings; without a court order, the materials are set to be released on June 15.