Hunter Biden's allies are reportedly looking into establishing a legal defense fund for him after his chief financial backer, Hollywood entertainment lawyer Kevin Morris, has been telling people he is running out of money to keep helping him.
The interest in a new defense fund comes just a month before Hunter Biden faces two criminal trials, both of which will start in June. It comes after similar explorations into legal funds for the president's son were considered late last year, reports NBC News, quoting multiple sources said to be familiar with last year's effort and this year's.
Four sources close to Biden said his allies have discussed the creation of a public small-donation fund, but that would be a last resort if efforts to find financial support from larger sources fail. They also said there has been no decision yet to move forward on creating a defense fund.
Morris told NBC News that the "timing couldn't be worse" for him to pull back on financing Biden's legal defense, but he added that he has "made it clear for many months that I've exhausted all of my ability to be the sole resource to fund the legal defense and anything else."
At this point, Biden's legal fees are estimated to be over $10 million as his criminal trials in California and Delaware, coming from special counsel David Weiss’ investigation, loom.
In Delaware, Biden has been charged with three counts of falsely filling out a form in 2018 while purchasing a gun. In California, meanwhile, the president's son faces nine tax-related charges. He is facing significant time in prison if he is convicted.
Meanwhile, Florida attorney David Jolly, a former Republican congressman, said he got a call in early December from a person close to President Joe Biden's family. He also said that he was approached by Morris and has spoken with members of Hunter Biden's legal team and has been quietly exploring the creation of a legal fund for him.
Jolly told NBC News that he was asked during the phone call to brief the president on a plan he devised, but ended up briefing two people who "have the president's ear." He added that he does not know if the president or first lady Jill Biden heard about the proposal.
He said he outlined how the fund would work, mainly as a blind trust, and estimated the costs for setting it up.
Jolly also said he explained how the fund would raise money for Hunter Biden's legal expenses while withstanding scrutiny from the Department of Justice, Congress, and the media.
The briefing detailed past practices and rules for legal defense funds, such as not accepting foreign money, contributions from lobbyists or federal employees, and guarantees that the donors do not work for the federal government.
The recommendations also stated that the donations had to remain private, even from the president, and that any money the fund got could be used only for legal fees.
A White House official told NBC News Friday that the White House has not been involved in legal defense fund efforts for the president's son.
"Since he took office, the President made a commitment not to be involved in Hunter's legal cases, and consistent with that, the White House is not involved in Hunter's legal strategy or financing," said the spokesperson. "Hunter is a private citizen who has a strong team handling his legal affairs, and any decisions are made by them."