美国保守派组织Heritage Foundation旗下的Oversight Project公开了前副总统拜登与自传撰写者Mark Lewis Zwonitzer的访谈录音和转录文本[1]。这些材料共计约三小时音频和117页转录内容，记录了拜登在2016年至2017年期间的私人对话[1]。
在这些访谈中，拜登似乎讨论了敏感的外交政策事宜并提及可能保留的机密信息[1]。2016年10月，拜登表示"他们甚至不知道我有这个"[1]，谈及敏感外交政策问题。2017年，他声称"我刚发现楼下所有的机密材料"[1]，并提到了一份关于阿富汗部队部署的40页备忘录[1]。
拜登曾试图诉讼阻止司法部公开这些对话，但在上诉法院驳回其请求后放弃诉讼[1]。一个三人合议庭以2比1的多数意见认定公开这些材料存在重大公共利益[1]。特别检察官Robert Hur在2024年决定不对拜登处理机密信息的方式提出指控[1]。
Oversight Project副诉讼总监Jeff Clark声称"这些录音始终属于美国人民"[1]。拜登发言人TJ Ducklo则回应称这一举措"出于政治动机"[1]。
The Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project has made public approximately three hours of audio recordings and 117 pages of transcripts from interviews between President Joe Biden and his memoir ghostwriter Mark Lewis Zwonitzer [1]. The materials, captured during conversations in 2016 and 2017, document Biden discussing sensitive diplomatic matters and apparently referencing classified information he retained [1].
In October 2016, Biden stated "They didn't even know I had this" while discussing sensitive foreign policy issues [1]. The following year, he claimed "I just found all the classified stuff downstairs," referencing a 40-page memorandum concerning Afghan troop deployments [1]. Biden had previously attempted to block the Department of Justice from releasing these conversations but abandoned his legal challenge after an appellate court rejected his request [1].
A three-judge panel voted 2-1 to authorize the release, determining that substantial public interest supported disclosure of the materials [1]. Special Counsel Robert Hur declined to pursue charges against Biden regarding his handling of classified information in 2024 [1]. Jeff Clark, deputy litigation director for the Oversight Project, asserted that "The tapes have always belonged to the American People" [1], while Biden's spokesman TJ Ducklo characterized the release as "politically motivated" [1].