On the opening day of Hunter Biden’s gun trial, the courtroom saw the presence of several notable figures, including first lady Jill Biden and the controversial Hollywood attorney Kevin Morris.
The president’s son has been accused of lying about being a drug addict in 2018 when he illegally purchased a firearm in Delaware. Prosecutors argue that Hunter Biden was addicted to crack cocaine at that time and was fully aware of his actions. The defense acknowledges Hunter Biden’s cocaine use but contends he shouldn’t be held responsible as he was in denial about his addiction. During the trial’s first day, the defense stated, “There’s no such thing as a high-functioning crackhead.”
Joining the president’s son on Tuesday were his wife, sister, and mother. Melissa, first daughter Ashley Biden, and Jill Biden were present for the opening arguments, alongside Kevin Morris, an attorney known for his intense support of Hunter Biden.
Morris’s relationship with the president’s son has spanned years, during which he has played a significant role in defending Hunter Biden, including financing his tax bill and protecting him from congressional scrutiny.
Morris’s support for Hunter Biden has strained his family relationships. The New York Post reported that Morris’s daughter recently told Hunter Biden to “stop taking advantage of my father,” while Morris’s family reportedly abandoned him, angered by his financial support for the president’s son.
Recent reports indicate that Morris claims he has run out of money to continue funding Hunter Biden’s defense.
In January, one of Morris’s attorneys sent a letter to the House Oversight Committee, disclosing that Morris had spent more than $6.5 million supporting Hunter Biden.
Morris has employed controversial tactics to protect Hunter Biden, including threatening members of Marco Polo, an organization led by former Trump aide Garrett Ziegler, after they published information from Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop last June. Morris suggested that the FBI and Justice Department were monitoring the organization.
Ziegler attended Tuesday’s trial, where Hunter Biden’s wife, Melissa, allegedly told him he did not belong in the courtroom. However, Ziegler was permitted to remain.
Also present in court on Tuesday was Abbe Lowell, one of Hunter Biden’s primary attorneys. Lowell, who has previously represented former President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, served as an ethics adviser during Ivanka Trump’s time in her father’s administration and counseled Kushner during congressional inquiries regarding his use of WhatsApp to communicate with foreign officials.
Lowell is known for his bipartisan legal counsel, representing a range of clients from Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to former New York Gov. George Pataki, a Republican.
Attorneys Lowell and Morris share a history of rallying behind Hunter Biden.
Following the Republican victories in the 2022 midterms, Morris anticipated a congressional probe into Hunter Biden and urged the president’s son’s associates to counteract the rumors about the laptop and other allegations. In response, Lowell sent letters in February 2023 to federal and state law enforcement agencies demanding an investigation into Marco Polo for publishing the laptop’s contents.
