Swalwell campaign takes cash from Hunter Biden’s former ‘sugar brother’ lawyer

FIRST ON FOX: Wealthy Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris bankrolled Hunter Biden’s legal defense and other bills as he faced federal gun and tax crimes charges, and now he’s helping bankroll the gubernatorial campaign of one of Hunter’s most ardent defenders, a new campaign finance filing reveals.

A campaign filing released Tuesday revealed that Morris, nicknamed Hunter’s “sugar brother” for financing his legal fees and lavish lifestyle, donated $29,900 to the gubernatorial campaign of Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., on Feb. 2.

Swalwell, who allegedly helped orchestrate Hunter’s surprise news conference outside the Capitol in December 2023 as he defied House Oversight Committee subpoenas to testify behind closed doors, has been one of the most vocal critics of the GOP investigations into Hunter during the Biden administration.

“There is absolutely no evidence that Hunter or his father acted corruptly,” Swalwell said at the time. “So I’m not going to sit back and let MAGA Republicans do whatever Trump wants in Congress.”

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WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 10: Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, flanked by Kevin Morris, left, and Abbe Lowell, right, attends a House Oversight Committee meeting January 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. The committee is meeting today as it plans to cite him for contempt of Congress. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images) (Kent Nishimura)

Morris and the younger Biden first met in 2019 at a campaign event for Biden’s father, then vice president, and the pair eventually developed a budding relationship at what Morris called one of the “lowest points.”[s]” in Hunter Biden’s life. Morris ended up shelling out so much money, more than $6.5 million, that Politico raised concerns that he wouldn’t be able to continue paying Hunter Biden’s legal bill if the case went to trial, which it ultimately didn’t.

Morris also allegedly helped pay for luxury housing for Hunter Biden, purchased more than a dozen amateur paintings from the former president’s son and helped the younger Biden pay his overdue tax bill.

While assisting Hunter Biden, Morris faced several bar complaints, including from the Trump-aligned America First Legal, which accused Morris of violating California’s rules of professional conduct after he was publicly photographed smoking marijuana while Hunter Biden, a recovering drug addict, was visiting.

Morris was also accused of trying to sneak onto the set of a film about Hunter Biden’s misdeeds, but was ultimately cleared by the California State Bar.

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A person close to Hollywood’s lawyer told Politico that the reason Morris decided to help Hunter Biden was because he saw no one else was going to support him.

Swalwell’s support at the 2023 press conference by reserving the “Senate Swamp,” a popular area near the Capitol that is often used for press conferences, raised questions at the time about whether the California congressman played a role in the then-first son’s decision to refuse a congressional subpoena by Republicans seeking to question him about his alleged crimes and other financial dealings.

Morris, who previously maxed out his donations totaling more than $6,000 to Swalwell’s House campaign in early 2023, and Swalwell stood side by side at the viral press conference later that year.

“The degenerates of a feather are coming together,” a longtime GOP strategist told Fox News Digital. “Eric Swalwell is literally Hunter Biden’s biggest cheerleader – from the Senate swamp reserve to defending the Biden Crime Family’s litany of illicit activities.”

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, accompanied by his attorney Abbe Lowell, leaves after speaking to reporters about the Republican investigation into his business dealings at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Kevin Morris are seen chatting in the background. (AP Photo/José Luis Magana)

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Morris and Swalwell also have ties to China that have raised questions among critics. In 2024, Morris confirmed to lawmakers that he still held a stake in a Chinese private equity firm that he had succeeded the president’s son. Morris initially acquired the shares after purchasing Skaneateles LLC, a company Hunter previously owned, in the fall of 2021 as pressure mounted for Hunter to divest due to concerns over its stake in the China-based company.

Swalwell, meanwhile, has long faced criticism over his ties to China after it was discovered that he was allegedly the target of a Chinese espionage influence operation during his early days as an elected official. The incident led to Swalwell being kicked out of the powerful House Intelligence Committee several years later when the allegations became public.

Fox News Digital reported last month that despite Swalwell’s heavily criticized relationship with the Chinese, his gubernatorial campaign accepted multiple donations from a China-based law firm and its sole U.S.-based lawyer, Keliang “Clay” Zhu.

Representatives for Swalwell did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital in time for publication.