Judge clears release of Biden ghostwriter records, then pauses order
What's next: The three-week stay gives the D.C. Circuit time to weigh Biden's appeal over redacted files sought by Heritage.
A federal judge ruled Friday that the Justice Department may give the Heritage Foundation redacted records of former President Joe Biden's conversations with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer, then temporarily halted the release for three weeks to allow an appeal. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich said the material carries strong public interest and that the department's redactions reduced Biden's privacy concerns. The records were sought through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit tied to former special counsel Robert Hur's investigation into Biden's handling of classified materials after his vice presidency. Hur ultimately brought no charges, though his report found evidence Biden had willfully retained classified documents.