Former President Joe Biden plans to legally intervene to prevent the Justice Department (DOJ) from releasing 70 hours of partially redacted audio recordings from his 2017 interviews with a ghostwriter for his memoir, Promise Me, Dad. The DOJ indicated in court filings that Biden’s legal team intends to block the disclosure, which was requested by Congress and the conservative Heritage Foundation. The DOJ has set a Tuesday deadline for Biden to file an objection, and if he does, the release would be delayed until June 15.
Biden’s spokesperson, TJ Ducklo, stated that the former president cooperated with Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation on the condition that the recordings would remain private. Ducklo argued that the tapes serve no public interest and accused the DOJ of political motives. He also criticized the administration for not releasing Volume 2 of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents.
The Heritage Foundation, which sued for access to the materials, claims the recordings will reveal Biden’s fitness for office and alleged disclosure of classified information. The DOJ has not opposed Biden’s potential intervention in the case.