In a recent revelation, Kevin Morris, the legal counsel for Hunter Biden, has disclosed to congressional investigators that the first impeachment of former President Trump in February 2020 was a catalyst for the urgent filing of tax returns by the President's son.
This information was obtained from a transcript of Morris's testimony reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Morris gave his testimony behind closed doors to the House Oversight Committee last week as part of the ongoing impeachment inquiry against President Biden. The investigators had unearthed an email from Morris dated February 2020, which mentioned a "political risk" during the election cycle. At that time, Joe Biden, the then-former Vice President, was a candidate in the Democratic primary.
The email, shown to Morris during his interview, was dated February 7, 2020, and stated, "emergency is off for today. Still need to file Monday we are under considerable risk personally and politically to get the [tax] returns in."
When probed about the nature of the emergency, Morris referred to the Trump impeachment, during which Republicans had threatened to summon Hunter Biden to testify. "You know, I believe that, you know, remember that the Trump impeachment process was going on at this time," Morris said. "And they were waiving around the possibility of calling Hunterright until the very end. I believe that it wrapped up. I believe that was thething prompting us you know, this is about preparing his tax returns."
Morris elaborated that he had recently begun working with Hunter Biden, a client who was dealing with "addiction stuff." He emphasized the importance of taxes, stating it was his "custom and practice to get the taxes straight." "Its a part of thats part of recovery, making amends," he said. "It's critical."
When questioned about whether the "political" concerns were related to Bidens candidacy for office, Morris denied any connection, saying "theres no cardinality between these two things." "Personally, he hadnt filed his taxes. Okay? Thats his personal problem," Morris said of Hunter Biden. "And then, politicallylook, there was an impeachment proceeding going on. His name was and face was everywhere in the world."
However, Morris clarified that the "political risk" had no relation to Joe Bidens candidacy for the White House.
Morris also testified that he had loaned Hunter Biden at least $5 million and had started paying his tax liability. But, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer believes that this was a strategy to "insulate then-presidential candidate Joe Biden from political liability."
Morris also confessed to the committee that the "loans" he provided to Hunter Biden do not have to be repaid until 2025, after the next presidential election, and could be forgiven, according to the committee.
Trump was acquitted on February 5, 2020, on both articles of impeachment against him abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after being impeached by the House of Representatives in December 2019.
The impeachment followed a July 2019 phone call in which Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to initiate investigations into the Biden familys actions and business dealings in Ukraine specifically Hunter Bidens ventures with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings and Joe Bidens successful effort to have former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin ousted.
Hunter Biden was discreetly under federal investigation, beginning in 2018, at the time of the call a probe triggered by suspicious foreign transactions.
Trump's request was perceived by Democrats as a quid pro quo because millions in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen. Democrats also accused Trump of interfering in the 2020 presidential election by asking a foreign leader to investigate a Democratic political opponent.
Republicans had been investigating Hunter Bidens business dealings, specifically with regard to Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. House Republicans, who were in the minority at the time, made several requests to subpoena Hunter Biden for testimony and documents related to the impeachment of Trump and his business dealings that were at the center of the proceedings.
Biden has admitted that when he was vice president, he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin. At the time, Shokin was investigating Burisma Holdings, and at the time, Hunter had a highly-lucrative role on the board, receiving thousands of dollars per month. The then-vice president threatened to withhold $1 billion of critical U.S. aid if Shokin was not fired.
"I said, Youre not getting the billion. Im going to be leaving here in,' I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said, Im leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, youre not getting the money," Biden recalled telling then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Biden recollected the conversation during an event for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018.
"Well, son of a b----, he got fired," Biden said during the event. "And they put in place someone who was solid at the time."
Biden allies maintain the then-vice president pushed for Shokin's firing due to concerns the Ukrainian prosecutor went easy on corruption, and say that his firing, at the time, was the policy position of the U.S. and international community.
Now, as part of the impeachment inquiry, Republicans are investigating any involvement Biden had in his sons business dealings.
Republicans obtained an FBI FD-1023 form with a confidential human source detailing allegations made by Burisma CEO Mykola Zlochevsky. Zlochevsky alleged that he was "coerced" into paying Joe Biden and Hunter Biden millions of dollars to get Shokin fired, amid the investigation into his firm.
Meanwhile, Hunter Biden has been under federal investigation since 2018.
Special Counsel Weiss charged Biden with nine federal tax charges, which break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors concerning $1.4 million in owed taxes that have since been paid.
Weiss charged Hunter in December, alleging a "four-year scheme" when the President's son did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports.
Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Weiss also indicted the first son on federal gun charges in Delaware last year. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to those charges as well. His attorneys are attempting to have that case dismissed altogether.
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