Hunter Biden Reportedly Reached Out To US Ambassador To Rome on Behalf of Burisma

According to newly released documents, Hunter Biden asked the US Ambassador to Rome for assistance related to the Ukrainian company, Burisma.

At a Glance

Hunter Biden lobbied the US government for help in Italy while Joe Biden was vice-president, reports say.
Documents released under a Freedom of Information Act (Foia) request show Hunter Biden wrote to US ambassador to Rome, John Phillips, in 2016 for assistance on behalf of Burisma.
The documents were released after a three-year effort by the New York Times.
There is no evidence that the government met Hunter’s request or that Joe Biden knew of it.
The revelation may fuel Republican claims of Joe Biden using his political position to help his son’s business.

Hunter Biden’s Burisma Deal: The Latest Revelations

According to recently released documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Hunter Biden sought the assistance of the US Ambassador to Rome in 2016 pertaining to Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. This outreach reportedly occurred during a period when his father, Joe Biden, was the Vice-President of the United States. Given the precarious ethical considerations, these revelations dig deep into the long-debated controversies surrounding Hunter Biden’s business dealings.

The documents, obtained after a prolonged three-year effort by the New York Times, provide details of Hunter Biden’s communications with US ambassador to Rome, John Phillips. The vice-president’s son reportedly wrote to Phillips asking for help meeting with the head of the regional government in Tuscany in connection to a Burisma geothermal project. However, the documents show no concrete evidence that this request was granted or even forwarded by the US embassy officials to the Italian government.

Integral Details and Potential Impacts

This revelation has spurred further scrutiny from Republican lawmakers, who allege systemic corruption involving Joe Biden’s family. The House Oversight Committee shared the latest report on X, noting that the State Department “finally” unveiled documents showing that Hunter Biden sought government help on behalf of Burisma, shortly after his father’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race. The committee then questioned if that was a “coincidence.” However, it’s notable that no evidence currently links Joe Biden to these dealings, nor is there concrete proof that the government intervened on Hunter’s behalf.

Less than a week after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race, the State Department finally released records showing Hunter Biden sought U.S. government help to land a Burisma deal when his father was VP.

Coincidence? 🤔 https://t.co/CZjuDfgYqM

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) August 14, 2024

In a separate disclosure, it is noted that the US Commerce Department official had serious reservations about actively advocating on behalf of a Ukrainian company without appropriate procedures through the Department of Commerce Advocacy Center. This cautious approach seemingly ensured that Hunter Biden’s request remained as an unfulfilled ambition rather than an acted-upon directive.

Hunter Biden attempted to enlist support from the U.S. Ambassador to Italy in 2016 to arrange a business meeting on behalf of Burisma for a prospective energy deal, according to his attorney.https://t.co/9aEKpGHevz

— ABC News (@ABC) August 14, 2024

Legal Ramifications and Political Reverberations

Hunter Biden’s business activities have recurrently been at the center of legal proceedings and political turmoil. He is set to stand trial in September in California for tax evasion concerning his income from Burisma and other foreign businesses. This follows his recent conviction in June for illegal gun ownership while using crack cocaine, further deepening the legal quagmire surrounding him.

Despite staunch denials from Hunter Biden’s legal team, who have characterized the outreach as “proper” and nothing more than a request for a “simple introduction,” the cascade of controversies surrounding this newly surfaced request risks further politicization and scrutiny. Notably, these allegations serve as a bellwether for ongoing Republican assertions of corruption amid a turbulent political landscape.

From Hunter Biden’s perspective, his request to the US ambassador appears to have been a measure of due diligence for a gambit in global energy politics. Yet, the confluence of his family’s influential political stature has rendered such business ventures a locus of public and partisan examination—a stark reminder that in politics, the lines between personal ambition and public accountability can oftentimes blur.