An attorney for Kevin Morris, a close friend of Hunter Biden, accused House Republicans of misrepresenting his testimony following Morris’sThursday closed-door interview.
The pushback from Morris, a Hollywood lawyer who paid off Biden’s overdue taxes, came after his lawyer accused GOP leaders of cherry-picking items from his testimony “not two hours” after he left his meeting with investigators.
“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. I specifically asked that this not to be done with Mr. Morris’ transcript and, if such were done, that the entire transcript be released,” Morris’s attorney Bryan Sullivan wrote in a late Thursday letter to House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.).
“Your staff as well as the staff of other committees responded that Mr. Morris would be treated fairly. And, then you did not treat Mr. Morris fairly and engaged in your standard practice of partially and inaccurately leaking a witness’s statements.”
Morris’s letter, obtained by The Hill, comes as Democrats have complained the GOP has routinely misrepresented witness testimony throughout their investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings and impeachment inquiry searching for connections to President Biden.
Hunter Biden, who on Thursday agreed to sit for a closed-door deposition following the risk of contempt proceedings, initially cited mischaracterization of committee interviews in defying the subpoena and calling for a public hearing.
The week before his transcribed interview, Morris had accompanied Hunter Biden when he made a surprise appearance at an Oversight Committee markup of a resolution to hold Biden in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena for a closed-door deposition.
Democrats and Republicans offered very different accounts of Morris’s Thursday testimony, which reviewed some $5 million in what Morris said were loans to Biden to cover the cost of his tax debts.
“Morris made clear that he loaned money to Hunter when he needed help and never asked, expected, or received anything from the White House, the Administration, the Biden family, nor the President in exchange for his representation, loans, and friendship with Hunter,” said a Democratic source familiar with the interview.
“Morris stated that neither Hunter Biden nor anyone in the White House ever asked him for money or a loan, nor was there ever any request for, suggestion of, or expectation of a favor or benefit from the Administration or the Biden family in return for his support of Hunter. He stated that his relationship with Hunter has never been used as a channel to get money to the President.”
But a statement from Comer said Morris’s relationship with Biden “raises ethical and campaign finance concerns.”
“Kevin Morris admitted he has ‘loaned’ the president’s son at least $5 million. 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,” Comer said.
Sullivan, Morris’s attorney, said the statement contains several inaccuracies.
“In your statement, you used quotes around the words ‘loaned’ and ‘loans’ to give the impression that Mr. Morris’ loans to Mr. Hunter Biden were somehow not real. To the contrary, Mr. Morris repeatedly testified he actually loaned the money to Mr. Hunter Biden, that these loans were reviewed by lawyers for each of them, that they have proper loan terms such as interest and a term,” Sullivan wrote.
“Mr. Morris repeatedly testified that he fully expected that Mr. Hunter Biden would repay these loans and never said that he would forgive the notes.”
Sullivan also said Morris “has only had cursory communications with President Biden at public events.”
After receiving Sullivan’s letter, Comer claimed his statements would be backed by the released of the full interview.
“The transcript will affirm Chairman Comer’s readout of the interview with Kevin Morris. The Committee intends to release the transcript soon but we do not have it from the court reporter at this time,” a House Oversight Committee GOP spokesperson said in a statement.
Morris is one of several final witnesses, mostly consisting of former business associates of Hunter Biden, that the House Oversight and Judiciary Committee panels are planning to interview in the coming weeks before wrapping up their investigations into the Biden family’s finances, which might be followed by impeachment articles against the president.
Both President Biden and Hunter Biden have repeatedly said that the president had no financial involvement in his son’s business dealings.
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