Staff Reports
In a plot twist that only the political theater could pull off, the Department of Justice has done an about-face on its statement regarding transcripts of President Joe Biden’s interviews for his memoirs. With Biden announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, the DOJ suddenly discovered that there was no one. Still, six electronic files containing what they claim are verbatim transcripts of meetings between Biden and his biographer, Mark Zwonitzer. This revelation comes on the heels of a federal judge’s inquiry, raising eyebrows faster than a squirrel at a picnic.
Earlier in the year, the DOJ had informed U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich that transcribing approximately 70 hours of audio recordings was too daunting a task. Apparently, finding time to sift through Biden’s past musings wasn’t a priority for them. However, just like a magician’s rabbit appearing from a hat, the DOJ has now produced the transcripts, amounting to a staggering 117 pages. Critics of this sudden discovery can’t help but be astonished at the timing, as if someone flipped a switch now that Biden’s candidacy is officially a no-go.
NEW: Justice Department discovers transcripts it previously said it did not have of Biden's chats with biographer discussed in Hur report. Also, DOJ relents and asks Hur for help in responding to flurry of #FOIA suits for his records
w/@kyledcheneyhttps://t.co/Tg5G90X4ti— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) July 23, 2024
The Heritage Foundation, along with a slew of other conservative groups, has been pushing hard for transparency concerning Biden’s handling of classified documents. Following Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report in February—where he declared that Biden’s memory lapses could be attributed to being a “well-meaning elderly man”—tension around the administration started to bubble over. In a time when political narratives are spun tightly, the DOJ’s flip from stonewalling to revealing could easily be interpreted as a case of selective amnesia.
Adding fuel to the fire, observers are right to raise their eyebrows at the optics of this latest revelation. Senator Josh Hawley’s comment aptly captures the sentiment that this “discovery” feels more scripted than spontaneous. The sudden openness of the DOJ, just as Biden steps back from the limelight, seems a little too conveniently timed. After months of resistance, they appear to have chosen the perfect moment to let some information slip through the cracks—typical for an administration that has mastered the art of dodging questions and playing political hide-and-seek.
The Oversight Project, another arm of the Heritage Foundation, expressed skepticism about the DOJ’s supposed newfound willingness to cooperate. Their persistent efforts to obtain documents related to Hur’s report were previously met with bureaucratic brick walls. Now, just before a crucial hearing, the DOJ decides to come clean? The timing couldn’t be more suspicious. Their claim that they “forced” the issue to surface highlights a growing narrative that accountability and transparency aren’t exactly at the top of the current administration's mind. While Biden bows out, a complex web of questions and concerns continues to weave itself tighter around the White House, reminding Americans of the intricate dance of politics that doesn’t seem to dazzle nearly as much as it confounds.
