Prosecutors Seek Indictment of Hunter Biden This Month

Federal prosecutors plan to seek an indictment of Hunter Biden by the end of the month, according to court papers.

Federal prosecutors are reportedly planning to seek an indictment against Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, by the end of this month. The specific charges that will be filed against him by Justice Department special counsel David Weiss are currently unclear. A plea bargain that was intended to resolve tax and gun counts faced by Hunter Biden fell apart in July. This case marks the first time that the Justice Department has charged the child of a sitting president. The legal issues facing the US president's son have become a highly controversial and politically charged topic as Joe Biden pursues his re-election campaign.

In a recent status report required by Judge Maryellen Noreika, Mr. Weiss' office set a deadline of September 29th for the planned new indictment. The court filing is related to a felony gun charge, which alleges that Hunter Biden illegally possessed a firearm while he was a drug user. He is also currently under federal investigation for his business dealings.

Hunter Biden's legal team responded to the court filing by stating that their client is abiding by the terms of a diversion agreement approved by a probation office. This agreement requires him to stay out of trouble for two years. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, expressed the expectation of a fair resolution to the investigation based on the evidence and the law, rather than political pressure.

In July, a federal judge rejected an "unusual" plea deal overseen by Mr. Weiss, which would have spared Hunter Biden from prison time. At that hearing, he pleaded not guilty to two counts of failure to pay federal taxes on an income exceeding $1.5 million annually from 2017-2018. He was initially charged in June.

Republicans have raised objections to Attorney General Merrick Garland's appointment of Mr. Weiss as a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden. They have criticized the prosecutor's involvement in brokering what they viewed as a favorable plea deal. Additionally, Mr. Weiss' previous professional relationship with President Biden's late son, Beau, in Wilmington, Delaware, has come under scrutiny.

Some congressional Republicans are considering an impeachment investigation of President Biden, alleging that he played a role in his son's foreign business affairs. Last month, the House of Representatives oversight committee cited bank records that purportedly show the Biden family and its associates receiving $20 million from oligarchs in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine during Joe Biden's vice-presidency from 2009-2017.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently stated on Fox News that based on the information gathered so far, an impeachment inquiry would be a natural next step. The situation surrounding Hunter Biden's legal troubles continues to unfold, and its potential impact on Joe Biden's presidency remains a contentious subject.