Joe Biden
Court Rejects Appeal to Keep Memoir Recordings Private
Published
Rough news for Joe Biden to wake up to — his appeal to block the Department of Justice from releasing audio from a 2017 interview with his memoir ghostwriter has just been rejected.
The 2-1 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit came late Monday, with the court reasoning there is a “substantial” public interest in disclosing the material, AP News reports.
The former president wanted to keep the recordings under wraps, with his legal team arguing it was an invasion of privacy. The DOJ previously said the recordings were exempt from disclosure under public records law.
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich — nominated by President Trump — ruled in June the public deserved to hear the recordings … and Biden appealed.
The appeals court said some redactions to the audio would help protect Biden’s privacy instead. The court suspended its decision until August 3 to allow Biden to file another appeal, if he desires.
Biden has 2 memoirs published. He was interviewed for both by Mark Zwonitzer in 2016 and 2017 — before he was elected president. The interviews took place at Biden’s home.
