The Department of Justice (DOJ) is blocking multiple parties from obtaining audio recordings of interviews between President Joe Biden and former special counsel Robert Hur, according to the Washington Examiner.
The Justice Department has denied Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests from multiple groups seeking access to the Biden-Har tapes, prompting the lawsuit to be filed on Thursday, the Washington Examiner reported. reportThe lawsuit was joined by Judicial Watch, the Heritage Foundation and a media coalition led by CNN, which includes companies such as The Associated Press, CBS and Reuters. (Related story: House rejects GOP attempt to fine Merrick Garland for concealing Biden-Harris tape)
The Daily Caller News Foundation also filed a Freedom of Information request on Feb. 13 seeking access to the audio tapes, but the Justice Department said the request is still pending.
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 12: Former Special Counsel Robert K. Hur testifies with a video of President Joe Biden before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, DC on March 12, 2024. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The audiotape of Biden and Hoare sparked controversy after Hoare said Biden was mentally unstable during the October 2023 interview.
In February, Hoare's team found that Biden possessed and improperly handled classified information about the Ukraine policy of the Obama administration, which he led as vice president, but after the interview, Biden decided not to pursue charges. Explained He described Biden as a “caring, well-meaning older man” and said his memory had “significant limitations” – for that reason a jury might not convict him. (Related story: Robert Hur fends off attacks from Democrats and Trump allies in marathon House hearing)
Attorney General Merrick Garland stubbornly withheld the tapes for months after Biden used executive privilege to block their release in May, after the House of Representatives passed a resolution in June holding Garland in contempt for violating a congressional subpoena.
The House also tried in July to hold Garland in “substantial contempt” by fining him $10,000 for each day he refuses to turn over the tapes. The resolution, sponsored by Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, failed in a 204-210 vote in the House. (Related: House passes resolution to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt)
According to the Washington Examiner, the Justice Department argued that releasing the Biden-Har tapes would create “unjustified invasion of privacy without any meaningful countervailing public interest” and “discourage witnesses from cooperating in the investigation.”
“I've been in this job for nearly 30 years and I've never seen such desperate efforts to avoid disclosure,” Tom Fitton, executive director of Judicial Watch, told the Washington Examiner.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
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