The former president of US Joe Biden has filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department to stop the release of audio recordings and transcripts of the former president’s interview with a ghostwriter that were obtained by the special counsel who investigated his handling of classified documents.
According to Biden’s lawyers, the Justice Department plans to release the files to Congress and a conservative group, the Heritage Foundation, after the department previously argued that they were withheld from public access.
Biden’s lawyers argued that the disclosure would “constitute an unwarranted invasion of President Biden’s privacy.”
Biden’s Attorney stated, “Every American, including a sitting or former Vice President, has a right to privacy in the personal conversations he has within his own home.”
“And when the U.S. Department of Justice obtains that private information through a criminal investigation, the Department bears a particular responsibility to protect it from disclosure,” they added.
At issue in the case are audio recordings and transcripts of Joe Biden’s 2016–2017 interviews with writer Mark Zwonitzer, conducted as part of his memoir work.
The material inside it was being reviewed by special counsel Robert Hur during a probe into Biden’s alleged improper retention of classified documents from his time as senator and vice president.
Hur’s report ultimately declined to advise charges; however, it raised concerns about Biden’s memory and age.
It is pertinent to mention that Biden has resisted releasing the interview audio, citing executive privilege. While transcripts have been released, Republicans and Democrats remain divided over whether Biden received favorable treatment in contrast to Donald Trump in a separate classified documents case.
