On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee released the transcript of testimony that entertainment lawyer and Hunter Biden's "sugar brother" Kevin Morris provided on January 18. The testimony was a joint project with the House Judiciary Committee and House Committee on Ways and Means, with all three involved in investigating Hunter Biden and the Biden crime family.
🚨 TRANSCRIPT RELEASE 🚨
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) January 23, 2024
Today, we are releasing the transcript of the transcribed interview with Kevin Morris, a Hollywood lawyer who has provided massive financial support to Hunter Biden.
🧵 See the key excerpts 👇
🚨Full Kevin Morris Transcript 👇https://t.co/dzIJ4JnJsE
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) January 23, 2024
In his opening statement, Morris spoke of the support he sought to provide Hunter with, which included "legal advice and friendship." Morris also noted that "over the course of the past four years I have loaned Hunter money to help him through his difficulties."
Morris met Hunter in November 2019 at a fundraiser for now President Joe Biden when he was running for his current office. The introduction was made by Lanette Phillips, a Democratic donor, who also later asked Morris to discuss "some entertainment-ish issues" with Hunter. Morris then began representing Hunter Biden about one week after he met him. Phillips also introduced Hunter to art dealer Georges Bergès.
Later in the transcribed testimony, when discussing a "tribal" feeling he had for Hunter, Morris said that his follow-up meeting "was a very profound meeting, and… one of the most important meetings of my life."
Throughout the testimony, Morris and his attorneys present with him, Bryan Sullivan and Stuart Liner, claimed attorney-client privilege as to why Morris couldn't relay certain information. This was even though, according to Morris' own opening statement, "[w]hen needed, at all times, we each have had our separate attorneys advise us on these transactions."
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Morris at one point explained that he helps manage corporations for his clients, who he described as "high-profile individuals" who "have basically virtual corporations. And in those virtual corporations, they have all kinds of staff and assistants."
"And what I do is I oversee -- I oversee sort of the squad. Sort of like a general counsel. But I am involved in everything. I am involved in everything. And the same is with Hunter. If you check my retainer agreements, you'll see that it's not -- it says all matters. And that's it," Morris shared.
Later in the testimony, when speaking with the minority counsel, Morris also shared that he was the "quarterback" of a team of lawyers he had assembled overseeing Hunter legal matters.
When the loans that Morris made to Hunter Biden starting in January 2020 came up, Morris did not know the total amount, despite how Morris and his attorneys had been informed it would be a topic for discussion.
It was revealed while going through the exhibits that Morris loaned Hunter Biden over a million dollars between January and October 15, 2020. "I don't dispute that," Morris told the majority counsel. Morris also said it was "correct" that it was his testimony that when he first began giving loans to Hunter that "there was no written loan agreement in place at that time." He executed loans before the promissory notes were in place with Hunter.
Among the loans Morris made to Hunter Biden included funding a new house in Venice, with payments for the house made until "approximately" 2023; assisting with "upside down" payments on his Porsche; to hire security; and his debts to the IRS as well as for his divorce. Morris would not speak to legal fees paid to Hunter’s other attorneys, citing attorney-client privilege.
As the majority counsel tried to ask for specifics as to if Morris "paid millions of dollars for Hunter Biden's legal fees via loans," Sullivan again tried to assert Morris’ attorney-client privilege.
Morris also shared that the loans were made through "third-party vendors." As he categorized it, "I wasn't paying for anything. I was loaning Hunter Biden the money for things." There is an expectation for Hunter Biden to repay those loans, sometime in 2025. Morris also later made clear that "Hunter never asked me for money."
When discussing how Hunter received the loan from him, Morris shared that "Hunter doesn’t come to me,” adding "[h]e’s never asked me for anything. I've done these things voluntarily. I have an idea of what they were, and I keep a record. And the ones that are absolutely necessary I take care of with a loan."
Morris also later agreed when asked by the minority counsel that he and Hunter Biden "have a lot in common," as he spoke to having "a very tribal feeling about Hunter" as well. He likewise agreed with the minority counsel’s description that there was "a genuine bond" and that it was "fair to say Hunter is like family to [him]."
He also later shared during the testimony that he was afraid of Hunter relapsing, and that it would affect his father, the current president, especially.
About his communication with Hunter, Morris revealed that "I was in--from day one, I was in his life completely and I knew what was going on, you know, all the issues, you know, from a lot of sources." He shared with counsel and various members too that he "knew" about what Hunter needed. "You know, what you have to understand is, you know, my representation of him is so global and complete that, you know, we didn't really need -- he didn't need to tell me," he shared when it comes to knowing about Hunter’s financial problems.
When pressed as to if he gives Hunter "like an allowance," Morris shared "I don't loan Hunter Biden cash or amounts of money.... I have loaned for things that are acute. And he has been basically unemployed, without a source of income, for the entire time I've known him. And that was not changed by me giving him cash, or anything like it."
The attorney-client privilege came up throughout the transcribed testimony, especially as Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) at one point tried to assert that that was "null."
That issue of attorney-client privilege led to questions from Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) as well, though Morris was at one point able to share that Hunter found out about loans made were communicated by counsel.
Morris also bought a considerable amount of Hunter’s artwork, which included two pieces for $40,000, which he paid directly to Hunter for. He also purchased 11 pieces through Bergès, in a sale totaling a negotiated price of $875,000. While the 40 percent gallerist fee has been paid to Bergès, Morris hasn’t paid the balance to Hunter yet because "I'm discussing with my tax advisers and business people, and I haven't elected how to characterize that yet." He also shared that he could pay Hunter in cash or that he could deduct it from the loan.
When the issue of politics was addressed, Morris was emphatic that politics did not come up between him and members of the Biden family and that his friendship with Hunter Biden has not been motivated by politics.
In particular, an email from February 7, 2020, came up that had been sent to one of Hunter’s tax accountants. It read "Emergency is off for today. Still need to file Monday--we are under considerable risk personally and politically to get the returns in. Sorry for the pressure earlier. Please send the issues list ASAP. Thanks for all."
Morris explained that he believed it was relating to the 2019 impeachment trial for then President Donald Trump. The counsel conducting the interview wondered "what did you getting the taxes straight [for Hunter] have to do with the Trump impeachment," to which Morris offered he was "guessing" and "speculating that that's what I was talking about."
He also could not provide much clarity as to "what was the political concern to Hunter Biden then that you were discussing here," and how that constituted a "political" risk, especially since Hunter has not run for public office.
The interview also discussed how Morris had bought Skaneateles, LLC from Hunter. When asked what kind of company it was, Morris said he didn’t know and repeatedly referred to it as "an LLC."
He also didn’t know what Hunter’s role was. "I think he was the… sole member of an LLC," Morris offered.
While Morris could not say when he bought the company, he believes it was in 2021. He also said it "sounds right" that Skaneateles owns a 10 percent stake in BHR. Morris said he thinks he paid $157,000.
Morris would not discuss why he bought Skaneateles, claiming it was "privileged," though he then was willing to share he thought "it was something that could be a very successful investment." Morris, however, does not know if Hunter Biden can buy BHR back from him at a certain point. He also doesn’t have a current valuation for the company.
Kevin Morris had minimal knowledge of what Skaneateles, LLC does as a company, yet he admitted that he purchased the company from Hunter Biden and that it owns a stake in Bohai Harvest RST (BHR). pic.twitter.com/vT8HKcItLA
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) January 23, 2024
The documentary project that Morris and Hunter Biden are working on also came up, though Morris and Sullivan would not speak to it. This included when asked "did you do any filming at all when you were on the Capitol Hill on December 13th of 2023 instead of Hunter Biden being at the deposition?" Morris’ attorneys insisted that that was privileged. Counsel conducting the interview did point out that that "also… goes to the question of, you know, obstructing our work" when it comes to the committees looking to hear from Hunter.
Morris said that he had been filming for legal proceedings, but he and "partners" have not yet decided if it will be used for the documentary project.
Although Morris was with Hunter during his brief appearance at the House Oversight Committee’s markup on January 10 to hold him in contempt, Sullivan that "that is outside of the scope." Morris wouldn’t even speak to when he learned that Hunter decided to make that appearance, again citing attorney-client privilege, although he and his attorneys teased that he might "someday" be able to, "[i]f Hunter lets him." Morris and his attorneys would not answer as to if there was any filming at the December 13 press conference or when Hunter appeared for the markup.
Late last year, Hunter had received subpoenas to appear for closed-door testimony. He offered to appear for public testimony, but House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) shot down that idea. Comer, along with House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) made clear to Hunter and his attorney Abbe Lowell that Hunter was still expected to appear for his December 13 testimony.
Instead, Hunter Biden showed up to the Senate side of the Capitol that day, gave prepared remarks to the press without taking questions, and left. The space was reserved by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), although Morris couldn’t say much about him.
On January 10, the Oversight and Judiciary Committees held markups to hold Hunter in contempt, with Lowell later calling upon the chairmen to reissue subpoenas. Hunter has since agreed to provide testimony on February 28.
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