Audio recordings from President Biden’s conversations with his ghostwriter have been made public after a legal conflict over references to classified content. During the recordings, Biden warned his collaborator about possible sensitive material in their discussion. The tapes became a major point of attention after Justice Department special counsel Robert Hur included them in a report from February 2024.
Hur’s probe began after classified documents were discovered in Biden’s home and office following his time as vice president. The special counsel described Biden as having trouble recalling events and noted slow responses during their interactions. On the tapes, Biden sometimes spoke with difficulty or seemed to pause while thinking.
There were moments when he appeared confused about what he wanted to discuss. Biden also mentioned finding classified materials in his home during a conversation from 2017. He told reporters that he did not intentionally share classified information.
Biden was also asked about how boxes of sensitive documents ended up in his garage. The special counsel noted that Biden’s recorded talks with his writer were often slow and difficult to follow. Hur concluded that Biden was not prosecuted due to several factors, including the nature of the material involved.
The Justice Department had previously released audio from Biden’s interviews with Hur’s team in 2023. Concerns about Biden’s mental state were raised during his presidency, especially after moments of unclear speech or confusion were captured on camera. Classified documents were found in Biden’s home and office several months after similar items were uncovered at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
Trump had faced separate charges related to classified documents, which were later dropped. Hur pointed out key differences between the two cases when deciding not to pursue charges against Biden. A group called the Oversight Project submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act for documents used in Hur’s report.
The group’s lawyer said they were seeking records that were referenced in the special counsel’s findings about Biden. Biden had received a large payment for his 2017 book and is planning to publish another one in November. The new book will cover his presidency, his 2024 campaign, and his decision to step down.
The release of these recordings comes amid ongoing scrutiny over how classified information was handled by both Biden and Trump.
IMAGE: U.S. President Joe Biden’s official portrait, 2021. Photo: Adam Schultz / Wikimedia, taken 2021-03-03, Public domain