Former first son Hunter Biden’s so-called “sugar brother,” Kevin Morris, has abruptly moved to drop his lawsuit against conservative research group Marco Polo founder Garrett Ziegler for alleged doxing and harassment.
Morris, a Hollywood power broker who helped bankroll Hunter’s legal bills and various ventures, sued over accusations Ziegler impersonated Democratic fundraiser Jon Cooper to get intel on Hunter out of him during a text exchange. Ziegler has denied doing so.
Ziegler’s attorney, Jennifer Holliday, challenged the push to dismiss the suit without prejudice.
“Over two and a half years into a meritless lawsuit, and without producing any evidence of the telephone number of the alleged impersonator … Plaintiff seeks voluntary dismissal without prejudice, in complete disregard of the terms of the Remittitur and of Defendants’ rights,” Holliday contended in court documents.
“This is objectively improper.”
Morris’ team sent a copy of a request to dismiss the suit last Tuesday and Holliday filed a response later that same day.
Ziegler’s team also demanded that Morris pony up $364,814 in legal fees before the lawsuit can be dismissed.
“Plaintiff, an experienced and well-resourced entertainment attorney, initiated litigation against out-of-state defendants for engaging in constitutionally protected speech,” Holliday stressed.
“Defendants were therefore required to retain specialized counsel and undertake extensive factual and legal analysis to vindicate their First Amendment rights, resulting in the fees incurred.”
In March, Hunter won his bid to drop his suit against Ziegler, a former aide to trade adviser Peter Navarro during the first Trump administration, over accusations he hacked his laptop. A judge determined that Hunter couldn’t bring that case again in the future.
In court documents, Morris’ team alleged that Ziegler had goaded him into giving him critical insights into Hunter’s laptop while impersonating Cooper.
After getting what he wanted, the impersonator allegedly texted Morris on May 29, 2022 “an image of a cartoon purple squid perched atop planet Earth, circled by the words ‘Marco Polo’ and ‘NOTHING IS BEYOND OUR REACH.’”
Morris quickly called on Ziegler to cease and desist, while threatening aggressive legal action.
“You’re going to prison and we’re going to get all of the money your family has and you will work for us for the rest of your life,” he allegedly wrote.
“You’ll come to my house everyday and wash my car,” he later added in the fiery exchange that ensued. “We will follow you to the ends of the earth.”
During the alleged exchange and in his subsequent lawsuit, Morris had concluded that the gadfly he was communicating with was Ziegler. But Holliday emphasized in court documents that it has not been proven.
“In his Complaint, Morris alleges, without ever producing the telephone number or any phone records or other reliable evidence, that this ‘impersonator’ was Defendant Garrett Ziegler, who has offered an unrebutted sworn statement that he did not message Morris,” Holliday chided in court documents.
Morris’s lawyers claimed that he is seeking to drop the lawsuit now because he “believes that Defendants cannot and will not be able to afford any judgment against them and Plaintiff does not wish to invest the time, resources, or money into this case that will not result in a collectible judgment.”
But the bigwig Hollywood lawyer had faced major setbacks in his lawsuit against Ziegler. Over the summer, for example, the California Court of Appeals slapped down his claims that the Golden State’s criminal doxing statute was broken.
It also spurned his tort claims for civil harassment, but permitted his claims about impersonation to go ahead.
Morris, who made his bones repping “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone before building a client list of A-listers such as Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson and Will Ferrell, first met Hunter at a November 2019 fundraiser for his father.
Given his own history of alcohol addiction, Morris developed a bond with the troubled Biden scion and began lending him financial support to the tune of millions in aid and loans.
This includes steps such as footing his legal bills, overdue tax fees, car payments, reported artwork purchases, and more. Morris had a front-row seat to Hunter’s trial for alleged gun crimes last year.
A court hearing in the bid to drop the Morris v. Ziegler suit could take place as early as Jan. 29, 2026.
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