New records suggest Hunter Biden sought assistance from the Obama administration to secure a foreign energy deal for Ukrainian gas company Burisma.
According to a report by the Washington Examiner, the first son appealed to the State Department while his father, Joe Biden, was serving as vice president.
The New York Times obtained documents showing that Hunter Biden had written at least one letter to the U.S. ambassador to Italy, requesting help in securing an energy deal for Burisma in Tuscany. This revelation adds to the ongoing scrutiny of Hunter Biden's business dealings and their potential connection to his father's political career.
A Commerce Department official at the U.S. Embassy in Rome responded to the request, indicating some discomfort with it. The official expressed caution about promising too much assistance, given the sensitive nature of the situation involving the son of the then-vice president.
The official's response, as reported by the Washington Examiner, stated:
I want to be careful about promising too much. This is a Ukrainian company and, purely to protect ourselves, [the U.S. government] should not be actively advocating with the government of Italy without the company going through the [Department of Commerce] Advocacy Center.
This cautious approach highlights the delicate position government officials found themselves in when dealing with requests potentially linked to the vice president's family.
Hunter Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, responded to the report by downplaying the significance of the request. Lowell emphasized that such requests for assistance were not uncommon and did not involve any illegal activities. According to Lowell, the request did not lead to any substantial outcomes. He stated:
No meeting occurred, no project materialized, no request for anything in the U.S. was ever sought and only an introduction in Italy was requested.
This statement attempts to minimize the impact and implications of Hunter Biden's communication with the State Department regarding the Burisma deal.
The Washington Examiner reported difficulties in accessing the relevant documents through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The State Department reportedly took three years to release the requested information, highlighting potential issues with transparency and timely access to public records.
It's worth noting that the State Department did not release the full text of Hunter Biden's letter, limiting the ability to analyze the exact nature and extent of his request. This lack of complete disclosure may fuel further questions about the details of the communication.
The revelation of Hunter Biden's request to the State Department adds to the ongoing scrutiny of his business dealings and their potential connection to his father's political career. These issues have become a significant point of contention in American politics, leading to various investigations and an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Despite the controversies surrounding his son, President Biden has consistently stood by Hunter throughout the ongoing legal and political challenges. The impact of these revelations on the Biden administration and future political landscape remains to be seen.
In conclusion, newly revealed records indicate that Hunter Biden sought assistance from the Obama administration's State Department to secure a foreign energy deal for Burisma in Italy. The State Department's response expressed caution about providing such assistance. Hunter Biden's legal team has downplayed the significance of the request, stating that no substantial outcomes resulted from it.
