In a new development, President Biden's team is reportedly apprehensive about the potential impact that photos included in Special Counsel Robert Hur's forthcoming report on the mishandling of classified documents could have on Biden's 2024 reelection bid. Axios has revealed that while Biden's aides do not anticipate any criminal charges arising from the investigation, they are concerned about potentially embarrassing images that may be forthcoming in Hur's report, which is expected to be released in the coming week.

These images could shed light on how Biden stored the classified materials, which were discovered in late 2022 in the garage of his Delaware residence as well as in a private office. It should be noted that the classified documents originated from Biden's tenure as former President Obama's vice president.

Biden's aides have expressed their fear that these photos could be used against the Democrat incumbent by former President Trump's campaign, should the two face off again in the likely 2024 rematch. Interestingly, Trump himself is currently facing over 40 counts, including obstruction of justice and willful retention of national defense information, for improperly storing classified documents at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. This follows an investigation conducted by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

With Hur's pending report, Biden's aides are worried that Trump's campaign may attempt to draw comparisons between the handling of the two investigations. Hur, a former U.S. attorney nominated by Trump in 2017 and a former clerk for conservative Chief Justice William Rehnquist, is obligated to produce a report regarding the investigation. Biden's aides have informed Axios that the report is expected to be released this week, though the exact timing remains unknown.

It is worth mentioning that Biden has previously defended his storage of classified documents. In a CBS "60 Minutes" interview last fall, Attorney General Merrick Garland pledged to make public a special counsel's report related to another matter, concerning Hunter Biden, to the extent permissible under the law. Garland also promised to clarify the decision-making process behind whether to prosecute or not, along with the strategic decisions made along the way. The Department of Justice has confirmed that Garland is committed to releasing Hur's report as well.

Anthony Coley, a former senior adviser to Garland, has accused the Biden team of dragging their feet in the case's discovery process. Coley argued that against the backdrop of former President Trump's indictment on charges of willful and deliberate retention of classified documents, the slow release of information by the Biden team only served to make the discoveries appear even more alarming.

As Hur's report nears its release, the anticipation grows regarding the potential impact it could have on President Biden's reelection campaign, as his aides brace themselves for any fallout resulting from the expected photos.