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Appeals court rejects Biden's bid to block release of recordings of ghostwriter interviews
Summary by The San Antonio Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press , KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate)
· July 21, 2026
· 3 min read
A federal appeals court has rejected a request by Joe Biden to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts of his interviews with a memoir ghostwriter before he was elected president . A divided three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit suspen...
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The San Antonio Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Original reporting Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press, KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 21, 2026 Indexed here Jul 21, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway The panel's 2-1 ruling late Monday found there is a “substantial” public interest in disclosing the material that Biden wants to keep under wraps.
Why this matters in The San Antonio
The appeals court's decision to reject Biden's bid to block the release of recordings of his ghostwriter interviews may have implications for transparency in government, a topic of interest to San Antonio residents who value open government. As the city navigates its own issues with public records and government accountability, the ruling serves as a reminder that public figures' private conversations can be subject to disclosure. The fact that the recordings were obtained during a criminal investigation and may contain candid, personal conversations raises questions about the balance between privacy and the public's right to know. San Antonio residents may wonder how this decision could impact local government transparency, particularly in cases where public officials' private conversations may be relevant to their official duties. The city's own experiences with public records requests and government accountability may inform its residents' perspectives on this issue.
About this story
Original reporting by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) . The San Antonio surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: local ·
Published: July 21, 2026 ·
Source: KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) ·
Reading time: 3 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? A federal appeals court has rejected a request by Joe Biden to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts of his interviews with a memoir ghostwriter before he was elected president . A divided three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit suspen...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 21, 2026 by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) and curated for The San Antonio readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press at KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate). To learn more about how The San Antonio selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The San Antonio, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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