Judge blocks DOJ from releasing Biden's conversations with biographer for 3 weeks

Updated on: June 19, 2026 / 6:15 PM EDT / CBS News

Judge blocks DOJ from releasing Biden's conversations with biographer for 3 weeks

TL;DR

  • A federal judge issued a temporary block on the Justice Department's release of Joe Biden's recorded conversations with his biographer.
  • The block is in place for three weeks, allowing a federal appeals court to review the case.
  • The Heritage Foundation had requested the transcripts and recordings, which were used in special counsel Robert Hur's report.
  • Hur's report cited Biden's "diminished faculties and faulty memory" as evidenced in the recordings.
  • The judge acknowledged a "diminished privacy interest" due to redactions but cited a "strong public interest" in the release.
  • Biden's lawyers argued that the disclosure of private conversations could not be undone and would cause permanent damage.