By Susan Ferrechio
The CIA stopped federal investigators from interviewing a key witness in their tax fraud investigation into President Biden’s son Hunter Biden.
That’s the claim of a whistleblower who has provided the bombshell allegation to House lawmakers investigating the president’s involvement in his son’s business schemes.
The witness, Patrick Kevin Morris, is a Hollywood lawyer and Hunter Biden’s close confidant who loaned the president’s son close to $7 million to help him cover back taxes and pay for housing and other expenses.
The IRS sought to interview Mr. Morris in August 2021 during its investigation into Hunter Biden’s unpaid taxes.
The CIA intervened to stop the interview, lawmakers said Wednesday.
Two Justice Department officials assigned to the investigation were summoned to the CIA’s Langley, Virginia, headquarters ahead of their interview of Mr. Morris.
“At that meeting, it was communicated that Mr. Morris could not be a witness during the investigation,” House lawmakers said in a letter sent Wednesday to CIA Director William J. Burns.
The top Republicans on the House Judiciary and Oversight and Accountability committees, Jim Jordan of Ohio and James Comer of Kentucky, respectively, said they do not know why the CIA intervened but said it aligns with other Biden administration efforts to thwart the probe of the president’s son that were exposed by two IRS whistleblowers.
President Biden has repeatedly denied involvement in his family’s business deals or any wrongdoing related to his son.
Mr. Jordan and Mr. Comer gave Mr. Burns an April 4 deadline to hand over documents related to the Hunter Biden investigation and those related to Mr. Morris, “including but not limited to efforts to interview Mr. Morris as part of the investigation” of Hunter Biden.
A CIA spokeswoman said the agency does not comment on specific investigations.
“We can say that CIA cooperates with law enforcement partners and does not obstruct investigations. CIA also fully and routinely cooperates with our oversight committees and will continue to do so,” the spokeswoman said.
Hunter Biden was charged in December with tax fraud and filing false tax returns. He is accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 through 2019 and evading taxes in 2018 by filing false returns.
Two IRS whistleblowers say Justice Department officials slow-walked the case and blocked them from pursuing witnesses, leads and evidence, some of which indicated Mr. Biden’s involvement in his son’s business deals.
Mr. Morris describes Hunter Biden as a close friend.
Lawmakers interviewed Mr. Morris in a closed-door deposition this year. He told them Hunter Biden gave him a tour of the White House, invited him to a wedding at the White House and took him to the White House Fourth of July picnic.