Biden Plans To Fight DOJ’s Release Of 2017 Audio From Book Ghostwriting Sessions, Docs Say
Former President Joe Biden intends to block the Department of Justice (DOJ) from releasing ghost-redacted written transcripts and audio recordings from his 2017 book, according to a May 8 court filing.
Tuesday is the deadline for Biden to intervene in the case, according to the same court filing. The Heritage Foundation is seeking access to redacted written transcripts and audio recordings through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The documents will not be released until June 15 if Biden objects before the May 12 deadline.
The documents include 70 hours of redacted recordings detailing Biden’s interactions with the ghostwriter from his 2017 book, “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose,” according to Fox News. The redacted recordings and written transcripts were obtained by special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents after his time in the Obama administration.
The ghostwriter was Mark Zwonitzer, Axios reported. Biden has denied allegations that he shared classified information in 2024. Biden allegedly took notes containing classified documents, including related to the president’s daily briefing and National Security Council meetings. He allegedly shared some classified notes with Zwonitzer during their ghostwriting sessions, according to Hur’s February 2024 report.
Biden will fight DOJ’s release of ghost bands https://t.co/HuIrpSvpZg
-Axios (@axios) May 10, 2026
“President Biden, through counsel, has informed the Department that he intends to seek intervention to prevent such disclosures. The Department does not object to intervention,” the court filing states.
Biden spokesperson TJ Ducklo confirmed that the former president plans to oppose the release in a statement shared Sunday with Politico.
“President Biden fully cooperated with Special Advisor Hur and agreed to provide audio recordings of conversations with his biographer for a book about his deceased son on the condition that they not be made public,” Ducklo said. “The DOJ itself has stated that these recordings serve no public interest.”
“What’s happening right now is not about transparency. It’s about politics,” Ducklo added in part. (RELATED: Karoline Leavitt Says Americans Would Be ‘Very Interested’ to Hear Biden’s Hidden Interview With Robert Hur)
The DOJ previously refused to provide Congress with a recording of Biden’s interview with Hur. Hur determined that no criminal charges against Biden were warranted as a result of his investigation, according to the report detailing his findings. Hur described Biden’s memory as “significantly limited” during their interview and the former president’s sessions with his ghostwriter.
Hur testified before Congress and defended his report in March 2024.
The Heritage Foundation plans to continue fighting to make the documents public, an official told Politico.
