Former President Joe Biden intends to block the Department of Justice (DOJ) from releasing redacted written transcripts and audio recordings with the ghostwriter of his 2017 book, according to a May 8 court filing.
Tuesday is the deadline for Biden to intervene in the case, according to the same court filing. The Heritage Foundation is seeking access to the redacted written transcripts and audio recordings via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The materials will not be released until June 15 if Biden objects before the May 12 deadline.
The materials include 70 hours of redacted recordings detailing interactions between Biden and the ghostwriter of his 2017 book, “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose,” according to Fox News. The redacted recordings and written transcripts were obtained by Special Counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents following his time in the Obama administration.
The ghostwriter was Mark Zwonitzer, Axios reported. Biden denied allegations that he shared classified information in 2024. Biden allegedly took notes containing classified material, including material related to the President’s Daily Brief and National Security Council meetings. He purportedly shared some classified notes with Zwonitzer during their ghostwriting sessions, according to Hur’s February 2024 report.
Biden to fight DOJ’s release of ghostwriter tapes https://t.co/HuIrpSvpZg
— Axios (@axios) May 10, 2026
“President Biden, through counsel, has advised the Department that he intends to seek to intervene to prevent any such disclosures. The Department does not oppose intervention,” the court filing reads.
Biden spokesperson TJ Ducklo confirmed the former president plans to object to the release in a statement shared Sunday with Politico.
“President Biden cooperated fully with Special Counsel Hur, and agreed to provide audiotapes of conversations with his biographer for a book about his deceased son on the condition that they would not be made public,” Ducklo said. “The DOJ themselves have said these tapes serve no public interest.”
“What’s happening now isn’t about transparency. It’s about politics,” Ducklo added, in part. (RELATED: Karoline Leavitt Says Americans Would Be ‘Quite Interested’ To Hear Biden’s Hidden Robert Hur Interview)
The DOJ previously declined to provide a recording of Biden’s interview with Hur to Congress. Hur determined no criminal charges against Biden were warranted following his investigation, according to the report detailing his findings. Hur described Biden’s memory as “significantly limited” during their interview and the former president’s sessions with his ghostwriter.
Hur testified before Congress and defended his report in March 2024.
The Heritage Foundation plans to continue to fight to make the materials public, an official told Politico.
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