Judge denies Biden’s bid to block release of transcripts linked to special counsel inquiry

A federal judge has denied former President Joe Biden's request to block the release of recordings he made with a ghostwriter. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that the public interest in the material outweighs Biden's privacy rights, though she has temporarily stayed the decision for up to three weeks to allow for an appeal. The recordings were gathered by Special Counsel Robert Hur during an investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents. Republicans sought the recordings after Hur declined to file charges. Biden's administration had refused to release them, leading to a contempt citation against Attorney General Merrick Garland. The judge found that sensitive personal details, such as the death of Biden's son, were redacted from the materials.

A US judge has rejected former Democratic President Joe Biden's lawsuit seeking to prevent the release of recordings made for his memoir. US District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that the recordings, made with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer while Biden was out of office, could be released to the Heritage Foundation. Biden argued that releasing the recordings would violate his privacy and reputation, but the judge found that these harms were outweighed by the public interest in disclosure. The recordings came into the Justice Department's possession during a special counsel investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents. While the investigation concluded no charges were warranted, the special counsel cited the recordings as evidence of Biden's memory limitations.