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Person

Kevin Morris

Nationality:

American
Occupation:

Lawyer
Political Party:

Democratic Party
Residence:

Los Angeles, California

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Kevin Morris is a Los Angeles, California-based entertainment lawyer and Democratic Party donor. He came to national attention as the “sugar brother” 1 and financial patron of Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden. The New York Times reported that as of February 2024, he had extended $6.5 million in financial assistance in the form of loans to Hunter Biden. 2

Morris allegedly has lent Hunter Biden $2,000,000 to pay the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) back taxes, 3 purchased $875,000 of Hunter Biden’s artwork, 4 5 6 paid $200,000 of Hunter Biden’s rent, 7 flown Hunter Biden on his private jet, 8 and been a member of Hunter Biden’s defense team for various federal investigations of his business dealings. 9

Morris has organized a team of more than 30 lawyers and investigators to discredit information released about Hunter Biden’s allegedly corrupt business dealings, including  potential connections to President Biden. 10

Career

Kevin Morris is a Los Angeles, California-based entertainment lawyer and Democratic Party donor who has allegedly loaned Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, $6.5 million. 2 11 12 According to the Los Angeles Times, Morris has been referred to as a “risk taker and rule breaker” by his friends. 13

Kevin Morris began his legal career at Lillick, McHose & Charles, later moving to handling bank financing and production matters for the Motion Picture Corp. of America (MPCA). 13 CBS News reported that Morris is “best known for crafting a 9-figure deal for the creators of the animated series ‘South Park.’” 14

Relationship with Hunter Biden

Kevin Morris’s relationship with Hunter Biden reportedly began when he attended a fundraising event for then-presidential candidate Joe Biden in 2019. Morris donated $2,800 to the Biden campaign directly and an additional $55,000 to a super PAC supporting the Biden campaign. 15 16 13

Since their first meeting, Morris allegedly lent Hunter Biden more than $2,000,000 to pay the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) back taxes and support his family. 3 According to Business Insider, these funds helped Biden avoid felony penalties during a June settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, when Biden attempted to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges. 5 17

This $2,000,000 loan is a part of at least $6.5 million that Morris reportedly loaned Hunter Biden. 12 2 Hunter Biden called Morris his “sugar brother” due to the large amount of money he received from Morris. 4

In addition to these loans, Morris also flew Hunter Biden on his private jet, 8 was a member of Hunter Biden’s defense team for various federal investigations of his business dealings, purchased $875,000 of Hunter Biden’s artwork, 4 5 helped Biden make $11,000 of payments on his Porsche, 18 and accompanied Hunter Biden on a visit to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee vote to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress in January 2024. 9 Hunter Biden also transferred to Morris his stake in a partnership that he had formed with agents of the Chinese government in 2013 known as Bohai Harvest RST. 19

On January 18, 2024, Kevin Morris was interviewed by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight regarding his alleged financial support of Hunter Biden. Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said following the meeting that Morris had paid Biden’s tax liabilities, lent him at least $5,000,000 for tax debts and personal expenses, and obtained White House access after lending money to Hunter Biden. According to records, the only time that Morris had visited the White House despite donating between $500,000 and $700,000 to Democrats was during the Biden administration. 20 The right-of-center America First Legal Foundation filed a complaint with the State Bar of California claiming Morris violated a California bar rule that states: “[a] lawyer shall not directly or indirectly pay or agree to pay, guarantee, or represent that the lawyer or lawyer’s law firm will pay the personal or business expenses of a prospective or existing client.” 21

In a statement on the matter, Rep. Comer said, “Kevin Morris’s massive financial support to Hunter Biden raises ethical and campaign finance concerns for President Joe Biden.” 12  Morris’s lawyers have challenged this assertion. 12 22 23

Morris organized a team of more than 30 lawyers and investigators to discredit information released about Hunter Biden’s business dealings, including their potential connection to President Joe Biden. 10 Morris attempted to debunk the validity of the Hunter Biden laptop by falsely claiming a “contextualized theory” in which the Hunter Biden laptop was actually a clone of data that was taken from Hunter Biden while he was undergoing ketamine therapy for drug addiction in 2019. 13 24

Additional Political Activities

Kevin Morris has made political contributions to several Democratic Party candidates and Democratic-affiliated campaign committees in addition to his support for the presidential campaign of Joe Biden. According to Federal Election Commission reports, Morris donated $2,800 to the campaign of U.S. Representative Connor Lamb (D-PA), $45,000 to the Biden-affiliated American Bridge 21st Century PAC, $10,000 to the anti-Donald Trump super PAC the Lincoln Project, and $8,100 to the campaigns of U.S. Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-CA) during the 2016 and 2018 election cycles. He also has made contributions to the U.S. Senate campaigns of former U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), former Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), and the campaign of former President Barack Obama. 25

References

  1. Vincent, Isabel. “Hunter Biden Celebrated Unprecedented Pardon from Dad Joe by Watching a Movie – about Himself.” AOL, December 4, 2024. https://www.aol.com/hunter-biden-celebrated-unprecedented-pardon-180320095.html.
  2. Vogel, Kenneth P., Luke Broadwater, and Michael S. Schmidt. “Kevin Morris, Hunter Biden’s $6.5 Million Patron, Draws Fire from All Sides.” The New York Times, February 16, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/us/politics/hunter-biden-kevin-morris.html.
  3. Kenneth P. Vogel and Michael S. Schmidt. “For Financial Help and Counsel, Hunter Bien Turns to Hollywood Lawyer.” New York Times. May 10, 2022. Accessed via Web Archive January 17, 2024. https://archive.ph/6OrCs.
  4. Gillespie, Brandon. “Art dealer reveals Hunter Biden knew ‘sugar brother’ was top buyer, making WH ethics pledge a ‘sham’: Comer.” Fox News Channel. January 11, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://archive.ph/pNitp.
  5. Schwartz, Mattathias. “Exclusive: Hunter Biden’s gallery sold his art to a Democratic donor ‘friend’ whom Joe Biden named to a prestigious commission.” Business Insider. July 24. 2023. Accessed January 16, 2024. https://www.businessinsider.com/hunter-biden-joe-artwork-berges-gallery-elizabeth-hirsh-naftali-2023-7.
  6. Catherine Herridge, Matthew Most, and Michael Kaplan. “Hollywood attorney Kevin Morris, who financially backed Hunter Biden, moves closer to the spotlight.” CBS News. January 12, 2024. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/department-of-justice/. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hollywood-attorney-kevin-morris-who-financially-backed-hunter-biden-moves-closer-to-the-spotlight/.
  7. Rebecca Kaplan, Sarah Fitzpatrick, Tom Winter and Ryan Nobles. “House Republicans hit pause on effort to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress.” NBC News. January 16, 2024. Accessed January 20, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-hit-pause-effort-hold-hunter-biden-contempt-congress-rcna134226
  8. Levine, John. “Hunter Biden cried poverty but still flew to his child-support hearing on a private jet for at least $55K.”  New York Post. May 20, 2023. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://nypost.com/2023/05/20/hunter-biden-cried-poverty-but-still-flew-to-his-child-support-hearing-on-a-private-jet/.
  9. Sarah Fitzpatrick, Summer Concepcion, and Zoe Richards. “GOP-led committees vote to recommend that House hold Hunter Biden in Contempt.” January 10, 2024. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-vote-resolutions-hold-hunter-biden-contempt-congress-rcna133206.
  10. Matthew Mosk and Jim Axelrod. “Hunter Biden’s Hollywood lawyer teases counter-offensive against Trump allies.” CBS News. May 18, 2022. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunter-biden-laptop-hollywood-lawyer/.
  11. Turley, Jonathan. “Hunter’s Art Dealer Contradicts White House Claims Over Art Sales.” Jonathan Turley Website. January 10, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2024. https://jonathanturley.org/2024/01/10/hunters-art-dealer-contradicts-white-house-claims-over-art-sales/.
  12. Dobkin, Rachel. “Analyst Warns of Critical “Problem” With Hunter Biden’s Lawyer.” Newsweek. January 20, 2024. Accessed January 20, 2024. https://www.newsweek.com/jonathan-turley-warns-critical-problem-hunter-bidens-lawyer-1862523.
  13. Matt Hamilton and Stacy Perman. “Who would lend millions to Hunter Biden? Meet the Hollywood lawyer who has.” Los Angeles Times. January 2, 2024. Updated January 4, 2024. Accessed via Web Archive January 20, 2024. https://archive.ph/EACKR.
  14. Matthew Mosk and Jim Axelrod. “Hunter Biden’s Hollywood lawyer teases counter-offensive against Trump allies.” CBS News. May 18, 2022. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunter-biden-laptop-hollywood-lawyer/.
  15. “Letter to Mr. Kevin Morris.” House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform. June 12, 2022. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Letter-to-Kevin-Morris-06122022.pdf.
  16. 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).
  17. Kenneth P. Vogel and Michael S. Schmidt. “For Financial Help and Counsel, Hunter Biden Turns to Hollywood Lawyer. “New York Times. May 10, 2022. Accessed via Web Archive January 21, 2024. https://archive.ph/6OrCs
  18. Catherine Herridge, Matthew Mosk, and Michael Kaplan.” Hollywood attorney Kevin Morris, who financially backed Hunter Biden, moves closer to the spotlight.” CBS News. January 12, 2024. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hollywood-attorney-kevin-morris-who-financially-backed-hunter-biden-moves-closer-to-the-spotlight/
  19. McCarthy, Andrew C. “Hunter’s ‘Sugar Bro’ Kevin Morris Gave Him Nearly $5 Million. Is a Chinese Investment Part of the Arrangement?” National Review. December 6, 2023. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/hunters-sugar-bro-kevin-morris-gave-him-nearly-5-million-is-a-chinese-investment-part-of-the-arrangement/.
  20. “Comer Statement on Transcribed Interview with Kevin Morris.” U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. January 18, 2024. Accessed January 19, 2024. https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-statement-on-transcribed-interview-with-kevin-morris%EF%BF%BC/
  21.  Lucas, Fred. “Hunter Biden’s Hollywood lawyer ‘sugar bro’ allegedly violated professional conduct rules: Bar complaint.” Fox News. January 19, 2024. Accessed via Web Archive January 19, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hunter-bidens-hollywood-lawyer-sugar-bro-allegedly-violated-professional-conduct-rules.
  22. Oliver, Ashley. “Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris to testify in Biden impeachment inquiry.” Washington Examiner. January 18, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2803105/hollywood-lawyer-kevin-morris-testify-impeachment-inquiry/.
  23. Rebecca Kaplan, Sarah Fitzpatrick, Tom Winter, and Ryan Nobles. “House Republicans hit Pause on effort to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress.” NBC News. January 16, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-hit-pause-effort-hold-hunter-biden-contempt-congress-rcna134226.
  24. Devine, Miranda. “Ketamine is so effective at helping addicts, it even got Hunter Biden clean.” New York Post. July 24, 2022. Updated July 25, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://nypost.com/2022/07/24/ketamine-is-so-effective-at-helping-addicts-it-even-got-hunter-biden-clean/.
  25. “Individual Contributions from Kevin Morris.” U.S. Federal Election Commission search results for Kevin Morris. Search conducted January 17, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunter-biden-laptop-hollywood-lawyer/.
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