Former President Joe Biden is suing the Department of Justice in an effort to block the release of private conversations and audio recordings tied to special counsel Robert Hur‘s classified documents investigation.Hur investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents and interviewed the former president about conversations with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer for his 2017 memoir, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose. The interviews, conducted between 2016 and 2017 at Biden’s home, were recorded as part of the book writing process.In the lawsuit, Biden argues the recordings contain deeply personal discussions that should remain private.
“These were private conversations, often involving sensitive subject matter, that took place in President Biden’s home,” the complaint said.
The lawsuit comes after the DOJ notified Biden in February 2026 that it planned to release the recordings and transcripts to Congress and the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation in response to Freedom of Information Act requests.
“Every American, including a sitting or former Vice President, has a right to privacy in the personal conversations he has within his own home,” the complaint said. “And when the U.S. Department of Justice obtains that private information through a criminal investigation, the Department bears a particular responsibility to protect it from disclosure.”
