Hunter Biden agrees to House deposition on Feb. 28 after defying subpoena
Fox News' David Spunt reports the latest from Washington, D.C.
Hunter Biden's lawyer is hitting back at House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., accusing the top Republican of being misleading about his closed-door deposition Thursday.
Following the deposition of Hunter's lawyer Kevin Morris — which is part of House Republicans' sweeping probe into President Biden's family and its past foreign business dealings — Comer released a statement expressing concern about the lawyer's financial support for his own client. Comer claimed that Morris' actions raised ethical concerns, noting the millions of dollars the lawyer loaned to Hunter.
"Shortly after meeting Hunter Biden at a Joe Biden campaign event in 2019, Kevin Morris began paying Hunter Biden’s tax liability to insulate then-presidential candidate Joe Biden from political liability. Kevin Morris admitted he has ‘loaned’ the president’s son at least $5 million," Comer said. "These ‘loans’ don’t have to be repaid until after the next presidential election and the ‘loans’ may ultimately be forgiven."
"Since Kevin Morris has kept President Biden’s son financially afloat, he’s had access to the Biden White House and has spoken to President Biden," he added. "This follows a familiar pattern where Hunter Biden’s associates have access to Joe Biden himself. As we continue more interviews this month and the next, we will continue to follow the facts to understand the full scope of President Biden and his family’s corruption."
HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH AFTER RISK OF BEING HELD IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS
Hunter Biden and his attorneys Kevin Morris, left, and Abbe Lowell, right, leave a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Comer also released excerpts from the deposition showing Morris was introduced to Hunter by Hollywood producer Lanette Philips at a Biden campaign event in the winter of 2019 in Los Angeles. According to Comer, Morris said he began loaning Hunter money which doesn't have to be repaid until 2025 and even bought $1.5 million worth of the president's son's artwork to reduce the loan burden.
However, in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Morris blasted Comer, alleging that he misconstrued his testimony.
"When I first met Hunter, he was emerging from the lowest point in his life," Morris said. "At this time, he had no income and his wife Melissa was five months pregnant. Although he was being harassed by paparazzi, as well as people coming onto his property and threatening him, he had no security protection."
"I was concerned that Hunter did not have the level of support he needed," he continued. "I stepped in and have done so ever since. I have worked hard to create a life that has allowed me to help my family and friends when they have needed it, and I did so with Hunter."
Hunter Biden’s lawyer Kevin Morris exits a federal courthouse at the Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Delaware, on July 26, 2023. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital )
Morris added that, while he did loan Hunter money, the two consulted counsel on the transactions and that he is "confident" Hunter will repay him. In addition, Morris denied ever believing the president or his administration would give him anything in return for the loans, saying his "only goal" was to help a friend and that there is no prohibition against that.
And in a separate letter to Comer, Morris' lawyer Bryan Sullivan called for the committee to release the full transcript of his client's deposition.
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"When we started today’s interview of my client Mr. Kevin Morris, I specifically pointed out the practice of Republicans in making partial leaks of witness’ statements rather than releasing the actual transcript so the public would know the truth and not your often inaccurate spin and misstatements," Sullivan wrote in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital. "I specifically asked that this not to be done with Mr. Morris’ transcript and, if such were done, that the entire transcript be released."
"Kevin Morris’ massive financial support to Hunter Biden raises ethical and campaign finance concerns for President Joe Biden," Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Thursday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
"Your staff as well as the staff of other committees responded that Mr. Morris would be treated fairly," Sullivan said. "And, then you did not treat Mr. Morris fairly and engaged in your standard practice of partially and inaccurately leaking a witness’s statements. Not two hours after we left Mr. Morris’ transcribed interview, you issued a press statement with cherry‐picked, out of context and totally misleading descriptions of what Mr. Morris said.
"So much for the promise of your staff that Mr. Morris would be treated fairly."
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An Oversight Committee spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the panel would soon release the full transcript and that it would confirm Comer's account of the deposition.
"The transcript will affirm Chairman Comer’s readout of the interview with Kevin Morris," the spokesperson said Friday. "The Committee intends to release the transcript soon, but we do not have it from the court reporter at this time."
Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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