The New York Times: Hunter Biden asked State Department for help securing Burisma project in 2016
Hunter Biden asked for help from the US State Department as he sought to make a deal for a Ukrainian gas company in Italy while his father was vice president, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing documents and interviews.
Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden, sought assistance from the US State Department in 2016 while he served on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian gas company, to secure regulatory approval for a geothermal project in Tuscany, Italy. The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing documents and interviews, that Hunter Biden sent at least one letter to the US ambassador to Italy on behalf of Burisma, highlighting the company's difficulties in obtaining the necessary approvals.
According to The Times, officials at the US Embassy in Rome expressed reservations about actively advocating for Burisma, with one Commerce Department official cautioning against "promising too much." This official noted that Burisma was a Ukrainian company and suggested that the US government should not intervene without the company going through the Department of Commerce Advocacy Center.
While the extent of the US Embassy's involvement in assisting Burisma remains unclear, the project ultimately did not proceed in Tuscany. The information regarding Hunter Biden's outreach to the State Department was revealed in documents released by the State Department in response to a 2021 public records request.
Hunter Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, confirmed to The Times that his client had reached out to John R. Phillips, the US ambassador to Italy at the time, seeking an introduction between Burisma and the president of the Tuscany region. Lowell emphasized that no meeting occurred, the project did not materialize, and no request for assistance from the US was made. He characterized Hunter Biden's request as a "proper" one, seeking only an introduction in Italy.
A White House spokesperson told The Times that President Biden was unaware of his son's outreach to the US Embassy in Italy on behalf of Burisma during his time as vice president.
Hunter Biden's connection to Burisma Holdings, which began in 2014, has been a subject of scrutiny from Republicans for years, who have attempted to link President Biden to his son's business dealings. These efforts were weakened when an FBI informant championed by congressional Republicans was charged earlier this year with lying about an alleged bribe involving Burisma, then-Vice President Biden, and his son.
CNN reported earlier this month that special counsel David Weiss' team stated that Hunter Biden agreed to "attempt to influence U.S. public policy" by lobbying US agencies and officials to investigate improprieties related to a Romanian government investigation of a wealthy Romanian businessman. Weiss also alleged in court filings that Hunter Biden contacted government officials in the US, including at the State Department, though specifics regarding these communications were not provided. While prosecutors have not charged Hunter Biden with any foreign lobbying crimes, they investigated him for years on this matter. They signaled in recent filings that they intend to introduce new testimony about the alleged lobbying agreement as evidence in his tax evasion case.
The revelations of Hunter Biden's outreach to the State Department come as Weiss is prosecuting him for alleged tax evasion. The case, set for trial in September, encompasses many of Hunter Biden's controversial foreign business dealings, some of which occurred while his father held office.
According to The Times, officials at the US Embassy in Rome expressed reservations about actively advocating for Burisma, with one Commerce Department official cautioning against "promising too much." This official noted that Burisma was a Ukrainian company and suggested that the US government should not intervene without the company going through the Department of Commerce Advocacy Center.
While the extent of the US Embassy's involvement in assisting Burisma remains unclear, the project ultimately did not proceed in Tuscany. The information regarding Hunter Biden's outreach to the State Department was revealed in documents released by the State Department in response to a 2021 public records request.
Hunter Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, confirmed to The Times that his client had reached out to John R. Phillips, the US ambassador to Italy at the time, seeking an introduction between Burisma and the president of the Tuscany region. Lowell emphasized that no meeting occurred, the project did not materialize, and no request for assistance from the US was made. He characterized Hunter Biden's request as a "proper" one, seeking only an introduction in Italy.
A White House spokesperson told The Times that President Biden was unaware of his son's outreach to the US Embassy in Italy on behalf of Burisma during his time as vice president.
Hunter Biden's connection to Burisma Holdings, which began in 2014, has been a subject of scrutiny from Republicans for years, who have attempted to link President Biden to his son's business dealings. These efforts were weakened when an FBI informant championed by congressional Republicans was charged earlier this year with lying about an alleged bribe involving Burisma, then-Vice President Biden, and his son.
CNN reported earlier this month that special counsel David Weiss' team stated that Hunter Biden agreed to "attempt to influence U.S. public policy" by lobbying US agencies and officials to investigate improprieties related to a Romanian government investigation of a wealthy Romanian businessman. Weiss also alleged in court filings that Hunter Biden contacted government officials in the US, including at the State Department, though specifics regarding these communications were not provided. While prosecutors have not charged Hunter Biden with any foreign lobbying crimes, they investigated him for years on this matter. They signaled in recent filings that they intend to introduce new testimony about the alleged lobbying agreement as evidence in his tax evasion case.
The revelations of Hunter Biden's outreach to the State Department come as Weiss is prosecuting him for alleged tax evasion. The case, set for trial in September, encompasses many of Hunter Biden's controversial foreign business dealings, some of which occurred while his father held office.