Biden's embarrassing recording to be released soon unless court steps in to stop DOJ
WASHINGTON, DC: The Department of Justice is likely to release the audio of former President Joe Biden’s recordings it collected of him speaking to his ghostwriter in 2016 and 2017.
Biden is leaving no stone unturned to try to stop the Trump administration from releasing the recordings from the time when his speech and memory allegedly faltered.
DOJ to hand over two-hour recording to House
In the hearings last week and others expected next month, the court rulings are poised to revive questions over Biden’s mental acuity during his presidency and even in the years before.
The nearly two-hour recording, about Biden’s conversation with writer Mark Zwonitzer, would be submitted to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee in the next three weeks, unless a court steps in to block the move. However, the court’s intervention is unlikely.
While the House committee’s request to receive the audio is underway, the Conservative Heritage Foundation already won a judge’s initial endorsement last week for the public release of the tapes.
However, the foundation has not received the recording or transcript of it because Biden is in court and appealing against the tape release.
Trial judge pauses tape release for three weeks
A federal trial-level judge has already paused the release of the tapes for three weeks to allow the appellate court in DC to ponder the matter.
US District Judge Dabney Friedrich sided with the Heritage Foundation after reviewing the recordings herself.
She ruled that the Justice Department has the authority to release the tapes. Friedrich also noted that the department plans to redact portions of the recordings before making them public.
She decided “that Biden’s privacy arguments largely overlook the Department’s recent redactions and reasoning.”
Friedrich said Biden’s argument for keeping the recordings private was weakened by the publication of his memoir, 'Promise Me, Dad', which was based in part on the conversations captured in the tapes.
“After the latest round of redactions, the Zwonitzer 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,” Friedrich wrote Friday, June 19.
“The remaining materials largely contain Biden’s discussion of foreign policy — including his references to what may have been classified material in his possession — and his decision not to run for president in 2016,” Friedrich added.
