Biden sues justice department to block release of Robert Hur interview audio
Former president says disclosure of recordings tied to classified files inquiry would violate his privacy
TL;DR
- Joe Biden is suing the Justice Department (DoJ) to block the release of interview transcripts and audio related to a classified documents investigation.
- The recordings exposed Biden's memory lapses and were part of a special counsel Robert Hur's investigation, which concluded without criminal charges but described Biden as having "a poor memory".
- Biden's lawsuit claims the DoJ's planned disclosure would be an "unwarranted invasion of privacy" and seeks to prevent the materials from reaching the Republican-controlled House judiciary committee and the Heritage Foundation.
- The interviews took place in 2016 and 2017 with Mark Zwonitzer, the author of Biden's memoirs.
- Hur's report found Biden "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials" after his vice presidency but did not recommend criminal charges.
- Biden had previously pushed back on Hur's assessment of his memory, stating "My memory is fine" and attributing any issues to handling an international crisis.
- Republicans have argued that Biden received preferential treatment compared to Donald Trump, who also faced investigations regarding classified documents.
- Democrats highlighted Biden's cooperation with the investigation and contrasted it with Trump's alleged refusal to return documents.