Judge rejects Biden's attempt to halt release of special counsel inquiry transcripts

A federal judge has denied President Biden's effort to prevent the release of recordings he made with a ghostwriter during special counsel Robert Hur's investigation. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that the public's interest in the material outweighs any privacy claims Biden holds. The recordings, made in 2017, were part of Hur's probe into Biden's retention of classified documents. Congressional Republicans had sought the recordings after Hur chose not to file charges against Biden. Biden's administration resisted turning over the materials, leading to a contempt citation for Attorney General Merrick Garland. Former President Trump's Justice Department had authorized their release, prompting Biden to sue to block their handover to a Heritage Foundation staffer. Biden argued the release would be an invasion of privacy, citing discussions of sensitive personal matters, including the death of his son Beau. However, Judge Friedrich stated that the administration had redacted such content. The judge's order noted the materials "contain no mention of highly sensitive topics like illness or death, nor do they mention any non-public persons, including members of Biden's family." Biden's representatives have indicated they will appeal the decision and asked the judge to halt the release during the appeal process.

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The materials "contain no mention of highly sensitive topics like illness or death, nor do they mention any non-public persons, including members of Biden's family."