The Department of Justice released audio recordings of former President Joe Biden speaking with his memoir ghostwriter on Monday, after his legal team withdrew court challenges to block their release.
The tapes, totaling roughly 70 hours cited in Special Counsel Robert Hur's 2024 report, were handed over to the House Judiciary Committee and the conservative group Oversight Project.
District Judge Tanya Chutkan granted a voluntary dismissal of Biden's emergency request, ending a two-year legal battle.
Hur had investigated Biden's handling of classified material but declined to pursue criminal charges, citing insufficient evidence of intentional retention.
Recordings Reveal Discussions of Classified Notes
The released recordings capture conversations from 2016 and 2017 while Biden was working on his memoir, including references to classified notes kept at his personal residence.
In one recording, Biden told his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, "They didn't even know I had this," while showing notes on foreign policy from his vice presidency.
In another exchange from October 2016, Biden said, "I have extensive notes over this period of time… They didn't know I have this."
A February 2017 recording captured Biden saying, "I just found all of the classified stuff downstairs.
I wrote the President a handwritten 40-page memorandum arguing against deploying additional troops to Afghanistan."
Biden also expressed caution while reviewing materials, saying, "Some of this may be classified … So, be careful. I'm not sure ...
It's not marked classified but —."
In another excerpt, he noted, "And then — and then the next thing I have here is — this is classified."
Biden Discussed Policy Disputes with Obama
The audio also captures Biden detailing internal administration disputes with former President Barack Obama following the 2008 financial crisis.
Biden said, "I was a really lonely voice on housing, I was a lonely voice on the middle class.
I mean, I thought we should be much more aggressive than putting these guys in jail and the bankers."
He noted that economic discussions frequently caused friction, saying, "I mean, he used to really get pissed at me."
Biden attributed some policy decisions to connections within the technology sector, stating, "I think subconsciously, at least, Barack and his guys were beholden to Silicon Valley."
He added, "And the valley guys didn't want the shit that I — you know, I wanted."
Biden also discussed Obama's consideration of Larry Summers for Federal Reserve leadership, saying, "He was, you know, Harvard and women."
Reflecting on economic shifts, Biden said, "I wasn't focused on robots and artificial intelligence … it was all about … bringing back the manufacturing in America."
Regarding the 2016 election, Biden recalled Obama telling him, "It's my decision to run or not. It doesn't have to do with the field."
Biden said Obama doubted a primary victory over Hillary Clinton was doable at that time.
A spokesperson for Biden criticized the release, saying the conversations were private and provided to the DOJ on condition they remain confidential.
"Reversing course and making them public is just the latest example of this Administration weaponizing the DOJ for political retribution," spokesperson TJ Ducklo said.
Ducklo added that while Biden disagrees with the decision, he respects the courts.
The Oversight Project welcomed the release, stating, "These tapes we are releasing today should have come out a long time ago."
Jeff Clark, Vice President for Litigation at the Oversight Project, said the tapes should show Biden's mental decline as far back as 2016/2017.
