The lead Republican on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), has launched a probe into a Hollywood lawyer’s financial support and apparent free-of-charge counsel to President Biden’s embattled son, Hunter. Comer is raising concerns that the financial contributions are an attempt to shield President Biden from congressional oversight.
In a letter to the lawyer, Kevin Morris, Comer has requested documents and information to determine whether the support is in line with or, perhaps, violates federal election law.
The following information is provided by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform:
Kevin Morris, a Hollywood lawyer, has provided massive financial support and advice to Hunter Biden and is also attempting to rehabilitate Hunter Biden’s perception among the public.
He lent over $2 million to Hunter Biden to pay back taxes that are the subject of a federal investigation and has convened a team of 30 lawyers and investigators to discredit information released about Hunter Biden and his business dealings and their potential connection to President Biden.
Morris has also provided pro bono counsel regarding the release of Hunter Biden’s memoir, art career, divorce, and is even funding a documentary about his life. Federal Election Commission (FEC) records reveal Kevin Morris contributed $2,800 directly and $55,000 to a super PAC that supported Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Such activities may constitute an ‘in-kind contribution,’ defined by the FEC as ‘goods or services offered free or at less than the usual charge.’ If your activities rise to the level of ‘in-kind’ political contribution to the election of President Biden, they must be properly reported to the FEC. To date, it appears that no contributions have been disclosed.
We are committed to determining the extent to which Hunter Biden’s business dealings with foreign adversaries compromise American national security and President Biden’s ability to lead the nation without impartiality and providing answers to the American people. It is critical that the American people better understand the extent to which your activities implicate federal elections laws and President Biden’s campaign.”
Rep. James Comer, Ranking Member, Committee on Oversight and Reform
The letter to Kevin Morris can be found here and below:
Mr. Kevin Morris
Morris Yorn Barnes & Levine
2000 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 300N Los Angeles, CA 90067-4704
Dear Mr. Morris:
June 12, 2022
We are investigating the domestic and international business dealings of President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, to determine whether these activities compromise U.S. national security and President Biden’s ability to lead with impartiality. Your sudden patronage of the President’s son, enormous financial contributions to President Biden, and outsized role you are taking in defending against both congressional and criminal investigations raise serious concerns about whether you are providing in-kind contributions to President Biden’s re-election efforts. Committee Republicans request documents and information regarding your actions to shield Hunter Biden and, ultimately, President Biden from congressional oversight.
According to the New York Times, you have “quietly taken on an expansive role as a financier, confidant and would-be avenger for [Hunter] Biden, handling sensitive subjects for President Biden’s son that could have acute political ramifications for the White House.”1 Your relationship with Hunter Biden reportedly began at a fundraising event for now-President Joe Biden, to whom you contributed $2,800 directly and $55,000 to a super PAC that supported his campaign.2 Since that initial meeting, you have apparently become a central figure behind the scenes—providing both financial support and advice as well as attempting to rehabilitate Hunter Biden’s perception among the public.
Committee Republicans are particularly troubled by your role in attempting to personally shield Hunter Biden from congressional and criminal investigations. Your decision to lend over $2 million to Hunter Biden to pay back taxes in a matter that is under scrutiny by federal investigators raises serious questions about your motive, given that this loan may complicate the case the government is building against Hunter Biden.3 Subsequently, you convened a team of
1 Kenneth P. Vogel and Michael S. Schmidt, For financial help and counsel, Hunter Biden turns to Hollywood lawyer, THE NEW YORK TIMES (May 10, 2022).
2 Id.; Biden, Joseph R. – 2019-2020 Cycle Individual Contributions Receipt (Forum: President; FEC Cand. ID: P80000722; Oct. 31, 2019); American Bridge 21st Century PAC – 2019-2020 Cycle Individual Contributions (Forum: President, FEC Comm. ID: C00492140; Feb. 27, 2020, June 11, 2020, June 30, 2020).
3 Kenneth P. Vogel and Michael S. Schmidt, For financial help and counsel, Hunter Biden turns to Hollywood lawyer, THE NEW YORK TIMES (May 10, 2022).
Mr. Kevin Morris June 12, 2022 Page 2
30 lawyers and investigators to discredit information released about Hunter Biden and his business dealings and, in turn, their potential connection to President Biden.4 This is troubling because it appears to be an attempt to prevent the American people from discovering the truth about the Biden’s international business dealings.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) records reveal that you donated thousands of dollars to President Joe Biden’s election campaign during the 2020 election cycle.5 This together with a $2 million loan to Hunter Biden, apparent pro bono counsel regarding the release of Hunter Biden’s memoir, art career, divorce, oversight defense, and the funding of a documentary about his life appears to be meant to deflect oversight of Hunter Biden’s numerous foreign business dealings and, more troublingly, shield President Biden from becoming implicated in them. Such activities may constitute an “in-kind contribution,” defined by the FEC as “goods or services offered free or at less than the usual charge.”6 If your activities rise to the level of “in-kind” political contribution to the election of President Biden, they must be properly reported to the FEC. To date, it appears that no contributions have been disclosed.7
We are committed to determining the extent to which Hunter Biden’s business dealings with foreign adversaries compromise American national security and President Biden’s ability to lead the nation without impartiality and providing answers to the American people. It is critical that the American people better understand the extent to which your activities implicate federal elections laws and President Biden’s campaign. To assist with this investigation, please produce the following documents and information no later than June 27, 2022:
- Any agreement, contract, promissory note, or any other document executed between yourself and Hunter Biden referring or relating to a loan for any monetary amount for the purpose of dispelling taxes owed by Hunter Biden to the federal government.
- All documents and communications referring or relating to the disclosure of information to the Federal Election Commission.
- All documents and communications between or among you, your agent(s) or employee(s), and the White House Counsel’s Office or Executive Office of the President.
4 Matthew Mosk, Jim Axelrod, Hunter Biden’s Hollywood lawyer teases counter-offensive against Trump allies, CBS News, May 18, 2022.
5 Biden, Joseph R. – 2019-2020 Cycle Individual Contributions Receipt (Forum: President; FEC Cand. ID: P80000722; Oct. 31, 2019); American Bridge 21st Century PAC – 2019-2020 Cycle Individual Contributions (Forum: President, FEC Comm. ID: C00492140; Feb. 27, 2020, June 11, 2020, June 30, 2020).
6 Federal Election Commission, How to report in-kind contributions, https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and- committees/filing-reports/in-kind-contributions/.
7 Although President Biden has not officially announced his re-election campaign, reporting indicates that he plans to run for President in 2024 (Myah Ward, Biden: I would be ‘very fortunate’ to run against Trump in 2024, Politico, March 23, 2022). According to the FEC, candidates who are “testing the waters,” considering running but not officially filed, are still required to disclose any contributions once the filing is official (Federal Election Commission, Testing the waters for possible candidacy, https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and- committees/registering-candidate/testing-the-waters-possible-candidacy/).
Mr. Kevin Morris June 12, 2022 Page 3
4. All documents and communications, including but not limited to any slide decks, prepared by you or your agent(s) or employee(s), for the purpose of describing congressional or criminal investigations of President Biden, Hunter Biden or any family member or Biden associate.
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the principal oversight committee of the House of Representatives and may at “any time” investigate “any matter” as set forth in House Rule X. If you have any questions about this request, please contact Oversight Committee Republican Staff at 202-225-5074. Thank you for your cooperation with this inquiry.
Sincerely,
James Comer
Ranking Member
Committee on Oversight and Reform
cc: The Honorable Carolyn Maloney, Chairwoman Committee on Oversight and Reform
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The suspence is NOT killing me.
Until we have a DOJ that is legit, and uncorrupted, none of this will matter. The US is in the toilet. We need to address the plumbing problem: The water ain’t gonna run clear til ya get the pigs outta the stream!