Washington: Former US President Joe Biden has initiated legal action against the Department of Justice to halt the release of audio recordings and transcripts from his conversations with the ghostwriter of his 2017 memoir. Biden's lawsuit seeks to prevent the disclosure of these materials, which are linked to the book "Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose."
According to Anadolu Agency, the legal dispute originated with a 2024 request from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative organization, seeking access to records of Biden's discussions with writer Mark Zwonitzer. While the Justice Department initially denied the request, citing exemptions from disclosure, they later reversed their stance during President Donald Trump's second term.
Biden's attorney, Amy Jeffress, stated in the lawsuit filed in the US District Court for Washington, DC, that the Justice Department had decided to release the materials to the Heritage Plaintiffs and Congress, with limited redactions. This decision was communicated to Biden on February 15.
The lawsuit highlights the personal nature of the conversations, emphasizing that they recount a significant and painful year in Biden's life, which began during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2014. Biden argues that such personal information is protected from disclosure under FOIA laws, and he asserts the right to privacy for all Americans, including himself.
The Heritage Foundation's request also included records used by former special counsel Robert Hur in his 2023 report on Biden's handling of classified documents. The report depicted Biden as slow in response and sometimes struggling with memory recall and reading from his notebooks. Despite these portrayals, Hur did not press criminal charges against Biden.
As of now, the Justice Department and Mark Zwonitzer have not commented on the matter. Former President Trump weighed in on the lawsuit via Truth Social, labeling Biden as 'a Crooked Politician.' If no legal intervention occurs, the materials are slated for release on June 15.