The Justice Department has found transcripts of President Joe Biden's conversations with a biographer, becoming part of an ongoing criminal investigation concerning his handling of classified material.
Politico reported that The Department of Justice recently informed a federal judge that transcripts of President Joe Biden’s talks with a biographer had been located.
These transcripts are linked to a criminal probe examining Biden’s management of classified documents prior to his presidency.
The findings were highlighted in special counsel Robert Hur’s February report, which described President Biden as “a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Since then, the DOJ has experienced a surge in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and lawsuits from media outlets and conservative groups seeking access to records related to Hur’s investigation.
Concerns about President Biden’s cognitive abilities and overall fitness for office were amplified following his recent poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. On the heels of these concerns, Biden announced on Sunday that he would no longer pursue reelection.
The Justice Department has resisted demands to release audio recordings of Biden's discussions, arguing that doing so would encroach upon his privacy, risk potential abuse, and discourage future witnesses from consenting to recorded interviews.
In defense, Biden invoked executive privilege over these recordings, aiming to prevent House Republicans from holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt.
During a hearing on June 18, DOJ attorney Cameron Silverberg stated, “We don’t have some transcript that’s been created by the special counsel that we can attest to its accuracy.” Silverberg emphasized the immense effort required to process the 70 hours of interviews between Biden and writer Mark Zwonitzer.
On Monday night, Silverberg confirmed that Hur’s office had indeed produced transcripts of segments of these interviews. Biden’s discussions with Zwonitzer, part of his work on memoirs published in 2007 and 2017, contained sensitive information.
The DOJ located six electronic files comprising 117 pages of verbatim transcripts of some of these Biden-Zwonitzer recordings. However, due to the DOJ's policy and the indeterminate nature of Biden’s recollections, prosecutors chose not to press charges.
Recently, the DOJ backtracked on its previous resistance to contacting Hur about the materials integral to his report. This move was followed by conversations with another unnamed individual involved in Hur’s investigation before finally communicating with Hur directly.
Hur's involvement went beyond utilizing the Biden-Zwonitzer audio; he also referenced Biden’s handwritten notes on an Afghanistan memo. Silverberg indicated he would discuss with parties requesting access to Hur’s materials about processing Biden’s notes for public release.
As these developments unfold, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich has scheduled a hearing on the matter for Tuesday morning.
In summary, the Justice Department's discovery of transcripts involving President Joe Biden and a biographer has become a focal point amid heightened scrutiny over Biden's crisis with classified material.
The DOJ is navigating numerous FOIA requests and legal hurdles, while Biden's mental acuity and fitness for office remain in the spotlight following his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
Special counsel Robert Hur's investigation continues to impact the discourse, with Biden’s executive privilege and privacy concerns playing a critical role in the handling of these sensitive materials.
