Biden sues DOJ to block release of cognitive decline recordings

Former Democratic president Joe Biden filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from releasing audio recordings and transcripts of private conversations with his biographer from 2016 and 2017. The recordings were made at Biden’s home as part of the writing process for his 2017 memoir. The DOJ had planned to release the materials on June 15 to the House Judiciary Committee and the conservative Heritage Foundation, following a Freedom of Information Act request originally filed in 2024.

The lawsuit claims that the committee’s request is pretextual and designed to circumvent federal law that would otherwise bar disclosure. It asks the court to permanently block the release. A DOJ spokesperson responded by stating that the Biden administration had previously sought to hide recordings that showed a decline in Biden’s cognitive abilities as early as 2016. The materials were part of special counsel Robert Hur’s 2023 investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents, which ultimately declined to bring charges. The case highlights ongoing legal battles over political transparency and executive privilege.