House Republicans released previously private audio recordings on Monday capturing former President Joe Biden acknowledging his possession of classified materials shortly after leaving his vice-presidential office in 2017.
The recordings stem from interviews conducted in February 2017 between Biden, now 83, and ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer while working on his memoir, Promise Me, Dad.
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Lawmakers obtained the tapes following legal action by House Republicans and the conservative nonprofit Oversight Project.
During the recorded interviews, Biden directly references the presence of sensitive government files in his residence.
"I just found all the classified stuff downstairs," said Biden.
The audio clips further reveal specific exchanges regarding marked materials during the writing process.
"The next thing I have here is, um, this is classified," said Biden.
Additional audio from October 2016 indicates that Biden held personal notes while still serving as vice president under former President Barack Obama.
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"I have extensive notes over this period of time… They [the White House] didn't know I have this," said Biden.
The release followed a legal surrender by Biden's personal lawyers, who dropped a lawsuit attempting to block the Department of Justice from releasing the files after experiencing court setbacks.
Committee Republicans noted that heavy redactions in the audio aimed to mask specific disclosures.
A spokesperson for Biden criticized the public release of the recordings while acknowledging the court ruling.
"It's wrong, and while President Biden disagrees with today's decision, he also respects the courts and the vital role an independent judiciary plays in a healthy democracy," said TJ Ducklo, Biden Spokesman.
Special Counsel Robert Hur previously reviewed the audio in 2024 during a federal investigation into Biden's document retention.
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Hur concluded that Biden improperly kept classified files but declined to bring criminal charges, citing concerns over how a jury would perceive the former president.
