Federal prosecutors, according to court papers, plan to indict US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, by the end of this month — although the charges the Justice Department's Special Counsel David Weiss plans to file against him are not yet unclear.
A plea bargain for tax-and-gun charges against the 53-year-old US first son fell apart in July, marking the first time the Justice Department charged a sitting president's child.
Meanwhile, Hunter's legal troubles have become a political issue as his father pursues a re-election campaign, BBC reported.
Hunter Biden who is under federal investigation for illegal firearm possession and drug use, has been given a deadline of 29 September for a planned new indictment, according to Weiss' office's status report required by Judge Maryellen Noreika.
Hunter is also under federal investigation for his business dealings.
In a recent court filing, his legal team stated that their client was adhering to the conditions of a so-called diversion deal that had been granted by a probation office and required him to stay out of trouble for two years.
His attorney, Abbe Lowell, said: "We expect a fair resolution of the sprawling, five-year investigation into Biden based on the evidence and the law, not outside political pressure."
In July, Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to two counts of failure to pay federal taxes on income of over $1.5 million (£1.2 million) annually from 2017 to 2018, after Judge Noreika said she could not approve an "unusual" plea deal overseen by Weiss, which would have spared him prison time.
Republicans are criticising Attorney General Merrick Garland's appointment of Weiss, a Trump appointee, as special counsel for Hunter Biden's investigation, citing his role in brokering a "sweetheart" plea deal and his previous relationship with Biden's late son, Beau, in Wilmington, Delaware.
Congressional Republicans are considering an impeachment investigation of President Biden, accusing him of being involved in his son's foreign business affairs.
Last month, the House of Representatives oversight committee cited bank records revealing the Biden family and associates benefited from $20 million from oligarchs in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine during Biden's vice presidency from 2009-2017.
According to Fox News, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently said: "If you look at all the information we have been able to gather so far, it is a natural step forward that you would have to go to an impeachment inquiry."
