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Joe Biden has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Justice in an attempt to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts from his interviews with an "anonymous co-author", which were obtained by the special counsel investigating the former president's handling of confidential documents.
In the lawsuit filed in a federal court in Washington, Biden's lawyers said the Justice Department plans to hand over the materials to Congress and the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation in June.
The lawyers argue that their publication “constitutes an unjustified invasion of President Biden’s privacy.” As they write: “ Every American, including a former vice president or a serving vice president (as Biden was during the Obama administration), has the right to privacy in the personal conversations he or she conducts in his or her home. When the Justice Department obtains this information through a criminal investigation, it bears a special responsibility to protect it from publication.”
At issue are audio recordings and transcripts of Biden's 2016 and 2017 interviews with Mark Zwonitzer, who collaborated with him on two of his books. The materials were reviewed by special counsel Robert Hur as part of the investigation into Biden's improper handling of classified documents while he was a senator and vice president.
The year-long investigation ended with a 345-page report that raised questions about Biden's age and mental capacity but did not recommend criminal charges against the then-81-year-old president. Hur concluded that there was insufficient evidence for a successful prosecution.
Biden has also opposed the release of the audio recording of his interview with Hur. Congress in 2024 decided to prosecute former Attorney General Merrick Garland for refusing to hand over the recording, citing White House executive privilege.
Five-hour transcripts of interviews with federal prosecutors were released that same year, revealing moments when Biden had a vague memory of dates and details, as well as stating that he was unaware of how some confidential documents were circulated.
Republicans claim Biden is being favored by the Justice Department while Trump has been treated unfairly. Democrats, on the other hand, have highlighted the former president's cooperation during the investigation, in contrast to the criminal case against the Republican for refusing to turn over confidential documents.
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