A federal judge on Friday rejected Joe Biden’s attempt to block the Trump administration from releasing to a conservative group the recordings that Biden made with a ghostwriter.
Judge's Ruling
US District Judge Dabney Friedrich found that the public interest in the material outweighed whatever privacy rights Biden had. The recordings were obtained by special counsel Robert Hur during his investigation into whether Biden improperly retained classified documents while serving as senator and vice-president.
Republicans in Congress demanded the recordings after Hur declined to file charges against the then president. Biden’s Democratic administration refused to turn over the 2017 recordings and transcripts, leading congressional Republicans to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt.
Legal Challenge
Donald Trump’s Department of Justice authorized the release of the materials, prompting Biden last month to sue to block the release to a staffer at the conservative Heritage Foundation who had formally requested the records. Biden objected to the release as an invasion of privacy, stating the recordings included discussions of sensitive personal matters such as the death of his older son, Beau Biden.
However, Friedrich noted that the administration redacted that material. The judge wrote 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.”
Next Steps
Representatives for Biden did not immediately comment but asked Friedrich to bar release of the material while they appeal her decision. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Friedrich was nominated by Trump, a Republican, in 2017.
