Biden Loses Appeal to Block Release of Ghostwriter Interview Recordings

A US federal appeals court has rejected former President Joe Biden's request to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts from interviews he gave to memoir ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer before entering the White House. The divided 2-1 ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that the public interest in the material outweighed Biden's remaining privacy concerns, while allowing redactions to protect sensitive personal information. The court stayed its order until August 3, giving Biden time to seek further review.

The recordings stem from interviews conducted at Biden's Delaware home in 2016 and 2017 for his memoirs Promises to Keep and Promise Me, Dad. They were later obtained by Special Counsel Robert Hur during his investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents. Although Hur declined to prosecute Biden, Republicans sought access to the recordings, and the conservative Heritage Foundation pursued their release through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

The majority opinion held that the now redacted recordings serve a substantial public interest. Judge Florence Pan, however, dissented, arguing that the interviews took place inside Biden's home, were part of a criminal investigation that ended without charges, and therefore deserved stronger privacy protection.

Biden spokesperson TJ Ducklo criticised the ruling, saying the conversations focused on deeply personal matters, including Biden's late son Beau, and had been provided to investigators on the understanding they would remain confidential. He accused the Trump administration of using the Justice Department for political retaliation, a claim the administration has rejected.

The latest ruling upholds a June decision by US District Judge Dabney Friedrich, who concluded that public interest outweighed Biden's privacy claims. If no higher court intervenes before August 3, the Justice Department is expected to release the redacted recordings and transcripts.