House committee has new evidence Hunter Biden repeatedly lied to Congress
Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reveals what the president's son allegedly lied about on 'America Reports.'
IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley said he was told he "could no longer pursue" Hunter Biden "sugar brother" Kevin Morris as a witness due to information provided by the CIA, according to an affidavit released Wednesday.
Fox News Digital first reported earlier this year that a whistleblower claimedthe CIA "stonewalled" an IRS interview with Morris, who provided millions of dollars to pay the first son’s tax debts. Those whistleblowers said the CIA "intervened to stop the interview" with Morris in August 2021.
The CIA told Fox News Digital those allegations were false.
Shapley’s affidavit, released Wednesday, shed further light the CIA's alleged interference in the attempted interview with Morris.
"In and around August 2021, discussions were ongoing within the prosecution team on the Hunter Biden investigation concerning witnesses who needed to be interviewed in furtherance of the investigation," Shapley said in his affidavit.
Shapley said that Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf told the team that she and DOJ Tax Attorney Jack Morgan "had recently returned from the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia, where they had been summoned to discuss Kevin Morris."
Shapley said "Wolf stated that they were provided a classified briefing in relation to Mr. Morris and as a result we could no longer pursue him as a witness."
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, flanked by Kevin Morris, left, and Abbe Lowell, right, attend a House Oversight Committee meeting on January 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
"Investigators probed AUSA Wolf, but since her briefing was classified and she was apparently sanitizing it to an unclassified form to share over an open phone line, she did not elaborate with more information," Shapley said, adding that Wolf "reiterated more than once that they were summoned to the CIA in Langley concerning Mr. Morris, and that because of the information provided there, he could not be a witness for the investigation."
Shapley recalled that Wolf "proudly referenced a CIA mug and stated that she purchased some CIA ‘swag’ at the gift shop while she was there."
"It is unclear how the CIA became aware that Mr. Morris was a potential witness in the Hunter Biden investigation and why agents were not told about the meeting in advance or invited to participate," Shapley said. "It is a deviation of normal investigative processes for prosecutors to exclude investigators from substantive meetings such as this."
The CIA told Fox News Digital last month that allegations it stonewalled the interview with Morris were "false."
"Without confirming or denying the existence of any associations or communications, CIA did not prevent or seek to prevent IRS or DOJ from conducting any such interview," James Catella, the CIA’s director of the Office of Congressional Affairs, wrote in a letter to Jordan and Comer. "The allegation is false."
The CIA said that, as a general matter and "without specific reference to the issue about which you have inquired, CIA facilitates the Department of Justice's access to national security information in the context of investigations and prosecutions in a variety of circumstances."
"For example, CIA engages with DOJ to enable prosecutors to understand national security information that may arise in the course of an investigation and to assess their discovery obligations," Catella wrote.
A spokesperson for the CIA previously denied preventing the IRS to interview Hunter Biden's friend Kevin Morris. (Reuters)
"CIA cooperates with law enforcement partners and does not obstruct U.S. law enforcement investigations or prosecutions," he continued. "To the extent your letter seeks information about any ongoing federal law enforcement investigation or prosecution, the Department of Justice is the responsible agency."
Morris loaned Hunter Biden approximately $6.5 million — over $1 million more than initially estimated.
Morris, who was subpoenaed to testify as part of the impeachment inquiry, said that he loaned Hunter Biden at least $5 million and began paying his tax liability. Morris and his attorney were estimating during the interview, a source told Fox News, and promised to follow-up with exact figures loaned to the first son. The attorney followed up to note an additional $1.6 million Morris had given Hunter Biden.
Morris, on Oct. 13, 2021, gave Hunter Biden a loan for approximately $1.4 million. According to the letter, Hunter Biden was to repay the loan, with $500,000 paid by Oct. 1, 2026 and the remaining $417,634 by Oct. 1, 2027, plus interest.
A few days later, Morris loaned Hunter Biden $2.6 million, with directions to repay the loan by Oct. 1, 2029. That loan, according to Morris’ lawyer, "was used to pay, among other debts, Mr. Biden’s tax debt to the IRS."
Hunter Biden, center, and his attorneys Abbe Lowell, right, and Kevin Morris, left (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
On Oct. 17, 2022, Morris loaned Hunter Biden $640,355 to be repaid by Oct. 15, 2027. In December 2022, Morris loaned Hunter $685,813.99, to be repaid by Oct. 15, 2027.
A year later, Dec. 29, 2023, Morris loaned Hunter approximately $1.2 million to be repaid by Oct. 15, 2028, with all interest paid by October 2029.
Special Counsel David Weiss charged Hunter Biden with nine federal tax charges, which break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors for $1.4 million in owed taxes that have since been paid.
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Weiss charged Hunter in December, alleging a "four-year scheme" in which 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.
The tax trial for the first son is set for Sept. 5.
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