Hunter Biden's longtime friend and financial backer, Kevin Morris, is reportedly "completely tapped out" of cash just weeks before the first son is set to face two separate criminal trials on gun and tax charges. The development poses a significant challenge for Biden's legal defense, as Morris has been a crucial source of financial support since the pair first met in 2019.
Sources close to Morris, a Hollywood lawyer who made his fortune representing celebrities like Matt Stone and Trey Parker of South Park fame, told Politico that he had loaned President Joe Biden's son upwards of $6.5 million over the past four and a half years. "The reason Kevin got involved financially in the first place was that he could see that no one was going to help Hunter," one insider revealed. "Now, four and a half years later, there's still no help, and now Kevin is completely tapped out."
The source added that the lack of resources comes at a critical time for Hunter Biden, who is "facing two criminal trials starting in a few weeks." The financial constraints pose a "huge problem" for Biden's legal defense, particularly because he is responsible for paying the expert witnesses scheduled to testify at his upcoming trials.
On Tuesday, Hunter Biden suffered another legal setback when U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika rejected a request to postpone his federal gun trial, ruling that the trial would begin on June 3 as initially planned. "Everyone can get done what needs to get done," the judge stated, dismissing concerns raised by Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, about the defense team's struggles to secure expert witnesses and the strain on resources caused by preparing for back-to-back trials on opposite coasts.
The firearm trial stems from allegations that Hunter Biden lied about his drug use and addiction when he filled out a federal form to purchase a gun in October 2018. Prosecutor Derek Hines recently pointed to Biden's own memoir as evidence of his "active addiction" at the time, stating, "I don't know what expert they can find who will say he wasn't. I think that's the issue they're having."
In addition to the gun trial, Hunter Biden is set to face a separate trial for alleged tax crimes on June 20 in California. He has been charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors in connection with roughly $1.4 million in taxes owed between 2016 and 2019. Last month, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi denied eight different motions to dismiss the tax charges indictment, and an appeals court refused to rule on the matter.
The revelation of Kevin Morris' financial constraints comes after he was interviewed by the House Ways and Means, Oversight, and Judiciary committees on Jan. 18 as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Biden. During the interview, Morris acknowledged paying "various attorneys" on behalf of Hunter Biden but refused to disclose the exact amount, citing attorney-client privilege.
As Hunter Biden's criminal trials approach, the loss of his primary financial backer has raised concerns about his ability to mount a robust legal defense. The first son has pleaded not guilty to all charges in both cases, but the mounting legal bills and the strain on resources may pose significant challenges as he prepares to face the courts.
