Congressional Republicans have released audio recordings that Joe Biden previously sought to keep confidential. In these tapes, Biden admits to holding classified materials after his tenure as vice-president concluded. The recordings feature interviews conducted for his 2017 memoir, Promise Me, Dad, written alongside Mark Zwonitzer.
During a February 2017 session, shortly after leaving the White House, Biden told his ghostwriter, “I just found all the classified stuff downstairs.” In other segments, he explicitly identifies documents as classified and notes that the White House was unaware of certain materials he kept. These recordings were acquired for a 2024 Justice Department investigation overseen by Special Counsel Robert Hur.
While Hur concluded that Biden improperly retained sensitive records, he recommended against filing charges, citing concerns that a jury would perceive Biden as an elderly man with memory issues rather than a criminal. TJ Ducklo, a spokesman for Biden, criticized the release of the tapes, calling it an example of the administration using the Justice Department for political purposes. Although Biden disagreed with the release, his camp ultimately ceased legal efforts to suppress them following setbacks in court.
