D.C. Appeals Court Allows Release Of Biden Memoir Interview Audio
A D.C. Circuit panel on Monday, July 20, 2026, denied President Joe Biden's request for an injunction blocking release of audio and transcripts from his memoir interviews, voting 2-1 against the bid.[1]
The court said disclosure of the redacted recordings serves a substantial public interest that outweighs Biden's remaining privacy claims.[1] The panel stayed its ruling until August 3 to give Biden time to consider further appeals tied to material obtained during Special Counsel Robert Hur's classified-documents investigation.[1]
The recordings came from 2016-2017 interviews with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer that produced material for a memoir.[1] Biden had asked courts to block release on privacy grounds after portions of the interviews were sought and reviewed in the course of Hur's investigation.[1]
One judge on the three-member panel dissented from the majority's decision.[1] The stay keeps the redacted transcripts and audio from being released while Biden weighs additional appeals.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, July 20, 2026, a D.C. Circuit panel voted 2-1 to deny Joe Biden's request for an injunction blocking release of his memoir interview audio and transcripts.
- The court held that disclosure of the redacted recordings from 2016-2017 interviews with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer serves a substantial public interest that outweighs Biden's remaining privacy claims.
- The panel stayed its ruling until August 3, 2026, to permit Biden to consider further appeals over material obtained during Special Counsel Robert Hur's classified documents investigation.
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