Biden Sues DOJ To Block Release Of Biographer Interview Audio To Congress And FOIA Plaintiffs
President Joe Biden sued the Justice Department in D.C. federal court on May 26, 2026 to block release of about 70 hours of audio and transcripts from his 2016-2017 interviews with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer.[1]
DOJ attorneys told a federal judge earlier in May they planned to release the files, with redactions, to the House Judiciary Committee and the Heritage Foundation on June 15 unless a court blocks it.[1] Three separate Freedom of Information Act lawsuits seek the material, and DOJ had earlier argued in court that the files were exempt before the Trump administration reversed that position in February 2026.[1]
Biden asserted executive privilege over the recordings in 2024 after House Republicans sought access.[1] His lawyers say DOJ "reversed" its stance without formal explanation, a claim that underpins the May 26 filing.[1]
The reversal marks a sharp change from DOJ's earlier legal stance and set up a clash between executive privilege claims and congressional oversight demands.
Late on May 26, 2026, former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social calling Biden a "Crooked Politician" in reaction to the lawsuit.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Biden filed a lawsuit on May 26, 2026, in D.C. federal court seeking to block the Justice Department from releasing about 70 hours of audio files and transcripts from his 2016–2017 interviews with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer that were used for his 2017 memoir "Promise Me, Dad."
- DOJ attorneys told a federal judge earlier in May 2026 they planned to release the files, with redactions, to the House Judiciary Committee and the Heritage Foundation on June 15, 2026 absent a contrary ruling.
- Three separate FOIA lawsuits had been filed seeking the material, and DOJ previously argued in court that the files were exempt from disclosure before the Trump administration reversed that position in February 2026.
- Biden asserted executive privilege over the recordings in 2024 after House Republicans sought access, and his lawyers now say DOJ has "reversed" its stance without formal explanation.
- Late on May 26, 2026 (Central), President Trump responded on Truth Social, calling Biden a "Crooked Politician" in reaction to the lawsuit.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The CBS article specifies that Biden’s May 26, 2026 lawsuit in D.C. federal court seeks to block DOJ from releasing about 70 hours of audio files and transcripts from his 2016-2017 interviews with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer that were used for his 2017 memoir "Promise Me, Dad."
- It reports that DOJ attorneys told a federal judge earlier in May 2026 they planned to release the files, with redactions, to both the House Judiciary Committee and the Heritage Foundation on June 15, 2026 absent a contrary ruling.
- The piece notes that three separate FOIA lawsuits had been filed seeking the material and that DOJ previously argued in court that the files were exempt from disclosure before the Trump administration reversed that position in February 2026.
- The article reiterates that Biden asserted executive privilege over the recordings in 2024 after House Republicans sought access and that his lawyers now argue DOJ has "reversed" its stance without formal explanation.
- It adds that late on May 26, 2026, President Trump responded on Truth Social, calling Biden a "Crooked Politician" in reaction to the lawsuit.