Newly Released Audio Recordings Capture Joseph R. Biden Jr. Discussing Classified Material Retention
Newly released recordings from 2016 and 2017 reveal Joseph R. Biden Jr. acknowledging that he retained classified materials from his vice presidency while working with his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, on his memoir, “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose.” The nearly three hours of tapes—collected by Special Counsel Robert K. Hur on a hard drive during his investigation—showed Mr. Biden telling his writer in February 2017 that he had found classified documents downstairs.
Special Counsel Report Concluded Insufficient Evidence for Criminal Charges
The contents of the newly public audio align closely with the findings in Mr. Hur’s 2024 report, which ultimately determined that there was not sufficient evidence to charge Mr. Biden with a crime. Investigators highlighted Mr. Biden’s comments and a 2009 Afghanistan memo as examples of willful retention, while also describing him in the report as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory—a trait frequently reflected on the tapes as he struggled to recall names and dates.
Legal Battle Leads to Release of Redacted Tapes by Heritage Foundation-Linked Group
The Oversight Project, a group originally established by the Heritage Foundation, pursued access to the recordings through a lawsuit after the Justice Department declined a Freedom of Information Act request. Following a decision by the Trump administration to hand over redacted versions, Mr. Biden filed a lawsuit to block their release over privacy concerns. A federal appeals court ultimately ruled that extensive redactions satisfied those concerns, allowing the tapes to be made public on Monday.
Responding to the release, Mr. Biden’s spokesman, T.J. Ducklo, issued a statement criticizing the decision as wrong and accusing the current administration of weaponizing the Justice Department for political retribution. Ducklo maintained that conversations discussing the former president’s late son were intended to remain private under the conditions they were provided to the government, though Mr. Biden is respecting the final court ruling.
