Biden Drops Legal Fight to Block Release of Ghostwriter Interview Tapes
5 verified4 unconfirmed
Former President Joe Biden on Friday dropped a lawsuit that sought to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts of his 2016 and 2017 interviews with a ghostwriter for his memoir. The material was obtained by a special counsel during an investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents, which concluded without criminal charges. A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 against Biden, citing substantial public interest in disclosure. Biden could have petitioned the Supreme Court or requested a rehearing, but instead filed a voluntary dismissal of the case. The recordings will be released to a conservative think tank and a Republican-led congressional committee. The tapes date from before Biden became president and are expected to be made public shortly.
What’s verified
Biden voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit on Friday, July 24, 2026, ending his legal effort to block release of the materials.
The recordings and transcripts stem from interviews with a ghostwriter for his 2017 memoir, conducted in 2016 and 2017.
Special counsel Robert Hur obtained the materials during an investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents; Hur declined to file charges.
A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court ruled 2-1 against Biden, with Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan and Judge Gregory Katsas in the majority and Judge Florence Pan dissenting.
The materials will be turned over to the Heritage Foundation and a Republican-led congressional committee.
Not yet confirmed
One source reports that the appeals panel had suspended its decision until Aug. 3 to allow time for Biden to consider options, but it is unclear if that deadline still applies.
Only one source names the ghostwriter as Mark Zwonitzer.
One source states that the Justice Department reversed its prior opposition to releasing the materials in May 2026; the other source does not mention this reversal.
One source includes a characterization of the tapes as “painfully boring” from an anonymous source familiar with them.
Key figures
Joe Biden, Robert Hur, Sri Srinivasan, Gregory Katsas, Florence Pan, Jeffrey Clark, Mark Zwonitzer
Sources: NPR, abcnews.com
