Newly released audio tapes from Joe Biden’s memoir reading raise speculation about whether the former POTUS has disclosed classified information. The tapes contain 2016 and 2017 interviews with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer.
Audio recordings show Joe Biden pausing memoir sessions over concerns about sensitive materials
According to TMZ, the tapes have Biden discussing several topics and leafing through the memoir work-in-progress. He is heard taking frequent breaks in the discussions to assess whether the material was classified.
While leafing through his memoir, “Promise Me, Dad,” Biden stops at one point, saying, “Some of this may be classified, so be careful with it. I’m not sure … it’s not marked classified, but …”
This is not the only time he checks himself while reading the material aloud in the tapes. Here, Biden announces, “The next thing I have here is, um, this is classified”. Another notable moment comes from a February 2017 recording. He tells Zwonitzer, “I just found all the classified stuff downstairs.” The timing of the recording is just one month after Biden left the vice presidency. Therefore, questions may arise about whether he disclosed any information after leaving.
Beyond those exchanges, Biden is heard discussing a range of sensitive national security topics, including high-level meetings involving the CIA, the Situation Room, and the Department of Defense. He also says that the White House had no knowledge of his possessing sensitive information from his time with the Obama administration.
The recordings were later reviewed as part of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s 2024 investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents. The report clearly states that Biden possessed and divulged confidential information. Hur did not press charges, anticipating the defense about Biden being an elderly person with memory issues.
Biden has consistently denied sharing classified information with his ghostwriter, maintaining in 2024 that his memoir contained no sensitive material.
The audio was released by the conservative nonprofit Oversight Project following lengthy litigation, allowing the public to hear conversations that had previously remained private.
DO YOU THINK BIDEN HAS RELEASED ANY CLASSIFIED INFORMATION?
Originally reported by Sreemanti Sengupta for Mandatory