Former U.S. President Joe Biden leaves Fumo Upper East Side on June 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)
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The audio and transcript of an interview between former President Joe Biden and a ghostwriter can be released to a conservative group, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Big picture view:
Biden sued to prevent the Department of Justice from releasing the interview to the Heritage Foundation, calling it an invasion of privacy. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that public interest in the materials outweighed that concern.
What’s next:
The Trump administration, however, will not be able to hand over the interview immediately, as Friedrich has given Biden three weeks to appeal the decision.
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The backstory:
The Justice Department obtained the recordings while special counsel Robert Hur investigated whether the former president improperly retained classified documents from his time as vice president and senator. The Biden administration refused to turn over the audio and transcripts to Congress, leading lawmakers to hold then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt.
The Trump administration later authorized their release. Biden sued to block that from happening after a Heritage Foundation staffer requested them.
Dig deeper:
In his lawsuit, Biden claimed the recordings contained his talking about sensitive matters that include the loss of his son, Beau Biden. Friedrich noted that the Justice Department had redacted those parts and that the materials “contain no mention of highly sensitive topics like illness or death, nor do they mention any non-public persons, including members of Biden’s family.”
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