Hunter Biden’s ‘sugar brother’ lawyer confirms he still holds stake in Chinese state-backed equity fund

Kevin Morris, a lawyer and close friend of Hunter Biden, confirmed to lawmakers that he still owns a stake in a Chinese private equity firm he inherited from the president's son.

Mr. Morris, who has been called Hunter's “sugar brother” for loaning him millions of dollars to pay off unpaid taxes and other bills, was named to the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees last week. He told lawmakers he still owns a 10% stake in Chinese private equity. A company called Bohai Harvest RST LLC (BHR). As pressure mounted on Hunter to sell, Morris initially acquired a stake in Skaneateles LLC, a company Hunter previously owned, after acquiring it in the fall of 2021.

In a recording reviewed by Fox News Digital, Morris invoked attorney-client privilege when asked “how he came to acquire Skaneateles,” but the focus on BHR was that He said he thought it would be a promising investment. However, during the interview, he claimed that he “couldn't remember what exactly it was.” [the investments] However, he said he remembered “experiencing them” and thought they were “infrastructure” related.

“I made this deal because as a businessman I valued it and thought it had the potential to be a very successful investment,” Morris said. “I – you know, I managed the property diligently. I knew – I knew how much Hunter had paid for it in the first place, and I didn't see it. And I still think it's on the upswing.”

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Mr. Morris said he bought Skaneateles for $157,000, but was later pressured to pay only that amount for a 10% stake in China Corp.

“Look, I'm going to do everything I can, okay?” Morris replied. “I thought we ended up with $157 in cash.” There was also a payment. I can't remember if that was part of that deal, but if it was, that's what it was for, and whatever it was, I think the purchase price was a combination of those two. ”

Morris said he has not received any payments from BHR since acquiring Skaneateles in 2021.

Before Morris took over BHR, Hunter Biden had held a stake in the company since October 2019, when he vowed to distance his family from foreign involvement if his father was elected president.

“No one in my family has an office in the White House or attends meetings as if they were members of the Cabinet, and no one in my family actually has business relationships with foreign companies or people connected to foreign countries. No. Despite reports of how long Hunter has been in the White House and his participation in official White House events such as state dinners and official visits to Ireland, current President Biden He said at the time: Other Biden family members have also visited the White House throughout the administration.

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Hunter Biden (center) and attorneys Abby Lowell (right) and Kevin Morris (left) leave the Rayburn Building on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)

During the 2020 campaign, Andrew Bates, then the Biden campaign's press secretary and now deputy White House press secretary, criticized the Trump campaign in April 2020, calling campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh a “liar.” I called it.

“When it was announced that Hunter Biden was resigning from the board of directors of China Corp., many news outlets believed it and reported it,” Murtaugh tweeted, adding that Hunter will still be listed as a director and that 10% of the stock will be sold. He tweeted quoting a report that he owns %. BHR stock. “Six months later, records show Hunter never actually quit. Will the mainstream media follow?”

Bates, who was later implicated in a “Russian disinformation” story meant to discredit Hunter Biden's laptop, shared a screenshot of a letter dated the same day as the tweet in The Washington Post. He responded to Murtagh by tweeting a quote from “Fact Checker.” It appears that BHR CEO Jonathan Lee has confirmed to Hunter's lawyers that Hunter is no longer an “unpaid director” as of October 2019.

Fox News Digital asked the White House whether Bates was aware that Hunter still owned BHR stock when he attacked the Trump campaign over Hunter's involvement in BHR, but did not receive a response. There wasn't.

Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates (right) speaks as Director of the Office of Management and Budget as Shalanda Young (center) and Council of Economic Advisers Chair Cecilia Rouse (left) speak during a press conference in the Brady Room of the White House. hear. March 28, 2022, Washington, DC. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

In late December 2020, less than a month before his father took office, Hunter still owned shares in BHR. In November 2021, Hunter's attorney at the time, Chris Clark, told the New York Times that Hunter “no longer has any interest, directly or indirectly, in either BHR or Skaneateles.” Ta.

The Washington Free Beacon reported in 2023 that after Hunter acquired Skaneateles, the stake in the Chinese private equity firm went to Morris.

Mr. Hunter previously served on the board of directors of Chinese companies that are financial backers, including Bank of China, but he announced in October 2019 that he was stepping down, citing increased scrutiny of his father's presidential campaign.

In December 2013, Hunter traveled with his father to Asia, including China, and introduced his father to Lee in the lobby of the hotel where the U.S. delegation was staying. A recent private interview with Hunter's former business partner, Devon Archer, revealed that Biden also plans to have coffee with him during his visit. Less than two weeks later, Hunter would form a joint venture called BHR Partners. The partner is a Beijing-backed private equity firm controlled by the Bank of China.

Mr. Hunter originally invested $420,000 in BHR through Skaneateles in October 2017. His interest in the company has soared to an estimated $894,000, according to a March 2019 email from his former business partner Eric Schwerin.

Mr Morris told MPs he did not know whether Mr Hunter would be able to buy back BHR in the future.

After Mr. Morris' meeting with members of Congress, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer issued a statement expressing concern about Mr. Morris' own financial support for his clients. Comer said Morris' actions raised ethical concerns, noting that the attorney had previously lent Hunter millions of dollars.

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“Shortly after meeting Hunter Biden at a 2019 Joe Biden campaign event, Kevin Morris began paying Hunter Biden's tax liability to protect then-presidential candidate Joe Biden from political liability. “Kevin Morris admitted to 'loaning' at least $5 million to the president's son,” Comer said. “These 'loans' will not have to be repaid until after the next presidential election, and the 'loans' may eventually be forgiven.”

“Kevin Morris has access to the Biden White House and has even spoken with President Biden because he is not financially burdening President Biden's son,” he added. “This follows a familiar pattern in which Hunter Biden associates have access to Joe Biden himself. As we continue our interviews this month and next, we will uncover the full extent of the corruption within President Biden and his family.” We will continue to track the facts to understand.”

Mr Morris said that although he had lent money to Mr Hunter, the two had consulted a lawyer about the transaction and that he was “confident” that Mr Hunter would pay him back.Additionally, Morris denied what he had previously believed. the president or his administration He said his “sole purpose” was to help his friend and that he was not prohibited from doing so.