Recordings of former President Joe Biden's interviews with his memoir ghostwriter have been made public after a prolonged FOIA dispute. The tapes were obtained during the investigation into classified documents handled by the former Vice President.
Biden’s attorneys previously sought to prevent the release, filing a lawsuit that was ultimately withdrawn. The court dismissed the case, allowing the recordings to be shared.
Mike Howell, a former conservative think‑tank staffer, led a two‑year FOIA campaign to obtain the materials. He argued that the public had a right to review the content that informed the special counsel’s findings.
The released material consists of over 70 hours of conversations from 2016 and 2017 in which Biden pauses frequently, speaks slowly, and struggles to recall details. The recordings illustrate the challenges he faced during the interviews.
Special Counsel Robert Hur investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents from his time as Vice President and senator. He concluded that prosecutors could not establish intent beyond a reasonable doubt, and therefore chose not to pursue criminal charges. Hur noted in his report that Biden’s memory was limited during both the 2017 ghostwriter interviews
