Audio tapes reveal Joe Biden discussed sensitive information with his ghostwriter

Newly released audio tapes and transcripts reveal former US President Joe Biden discussed classified information with his ghostwriter, Mark Lewis Zwonitzer, prior to his 2020 election. The material, released by the conservative Oversight Project after a legal battle, includes Biden in 2016 discussing sensitive foreign policy matters, stating, "They didn't even know I had this." In a 2017 session, he also appeared to admit retaining classified documents, saying, "I just found all the classified stuff downstairs." The tapes also show instances of Biden claiming memory lapses, which fueled public debate about his age and fitness for office, a point highlighted by Special Counsel Robert Hur in his decision not to charge Biden for mishandling classified information. A Biden spokesman criticized the release as politically motivated, while the Oversight Project asserted the tapes demonstrate Biden's cognitive decline.