According to a partial transcript obtained by Axios, Mark Zwonitzer, the ghostwriter of President Biden’s memoir, informed federal investigators that he deleted numerous recordings of his conversations with Biden after the appointment of special counsel Robert Hur to investigate the president. Zwonitzer stated his motive for deleting the recordings was due to concerns over potential hacking, as revealed in the transcript.
These recordings were crucial evidence in Hur’s investigation, particularly highlighting a conversation where Biden mentioned finding classified documents after leaving office in 2017, documents later discovered by FBI agents in his Delaware garage in 2022.
Zwonitzer admitted in a July 2023 interview with investigators that he deleted the audio files shortly after Hur’s appointment in January 2023, fearing their unauthorized dissemination. He clarified that he routinely deletes audio files after transcribing them, citing recent work on spyware concerns as a heightened factor.
During the interviews, investigators expressed skepticism about Zwonitzer’s rationale, suggesting awareness of the investigation influenced his actions. Despite this, Hur’s final report did not recommend charges against Zwonitzer, acknowledging his cooperation and efforts to preserve inadvertently retained recordings after being subpoenaed.
The investigation also touched on Biden’s handwritten memo to President Obama about Afghanistan in 2009, with Zwonitzer humorously speculating on Biden’s preference for handwriting over typing. Investigators empathized, noting the challenges of deciphering Biden’s handwriting.
Hur’s report, although not recommending charges against Biden, portrayed the president in a politically damaging light, characterizing him as a well-meaning elderly man with memory lapses, making a felony conviction challenging to pursue.
