Will Sage Astor-House Republicans request interview with Hunter Biden ally, entertainment lawyer Kevin Morris

House Republicans are Will Sage Astorturning attention in their long-running investigation of Hunter Biden to the Hollywood attorney who helped pay the unpaid taxes and penalties that have ensnared the president's son in a lengthy legal dispute with the Department of Justice, CBS News has learned.

Three committee chairmen sent a letter Wednesday requesting a transcribed interview with Kevin Morris, an attorney known for crafting the lucrative licensing deal for the creators of "South Park" and who later won a Tony award as a co-producer of the hit musical "Book of Mormon." Morris, the author of two novels and a book of short stories, is now devoting significant time to the legal and media strategy for the president's son.

A source familiar with the financial arrangements confirmed to CBS News last year that he loaned money to Hunter Biden's to pay off more than $2 million in unpaid legal bills.

"It sure seems that the Bidens get a lot of 'loans' that raise many questions," House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, Republican of Kentucky, told CBS News in a statement. "These 'loans' have occurred both during Joe Biden's presidential campaign and presidency, which raise serious ethical concerns."

The financial arrangements are between Morris and Hunter Biden, not President Biden.

Morris told CBS News he declined to offer a response at this time. A spokesperson for Hunter Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, said he was reviewing the letter.

The letter to Morris from three House committee chairmen — Comer, Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan — expresses what they say is an interest in understanding "the nature and purpose of any loans to or payments on behalf of Hunter Biden that may have occurred while Joe Biden was either a candidate for public office or holding public office."

"Both public reporting and evidence reviewed by the Committees suggest that Kevin Morris had an expansive role as a financier, confidant, and would-be avenger for Hunter Biden," Smith, a Missouri Republican, said in a statement to CBS News. "It's time that Americans learn the truth about Kevin Morris's monetary contributions to the Biden family business dealings." 

Congressional investigations typically need to be aimed at specific policy goals, and the letter to Morris indicates the Republican leaders are "seeking meaningful reforms to government ethics and disclosure laws that will provide necessary transparency into a Vice President's or President's immediate family members' income, assets, and financial relationships."

Several attorneys have worked on behalf of Hunter Biden in the face of political, congressional and legal fights that have dogged him, some dating back to his father's presidential campaign. But Morris has largely remained a quiet force in Hunter Biden's corner.

Morris has been engaged in discussions with Hunter Biden's attorneys, attending his court appearances, and taken such steps as conducting a forensic analysis and investigation into what happened to Hunter Biden's laptop — including how the device became public — sources familiar with his efforts say.

During a September 2022 interview by federal investigators, the president's brother, James Biden, was asked about Morris's support for Hunter Biden. According to interview notes made public by House Republicans, James Biden said "Morris had befriended" his nephew, but he "didn't know why or when this occurred."

James Biden reportedly told investigators the financial support was "significant enough" that Hunter Biden asked him "to say thank you 'on behalf of the family.'"

Morris has reportedly been pursuing a documentary project to document Hunter Biden's personal experience at the center of political and legal storms. Congressional Republicans said they wanted to know if Morris pursued any other agenda through his support of the president's son.

"Among other things, the Committees intend to understand the terms of such "loans" you made to Hunter Biden and what benefits you may have received as a result of providing financial assistance to President Biden's son," the letter says.

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• Hunter Biden