A newly disclosed letter from the State Department has revealed Hunter Biden’s direct outreach to a U.S. ambassador while his father served as vice president, shedding light on how he leveraged political connections for Burisma’s benefit.
The 2016 correspondence, reported by The New York Times, shows Hunter Biden reaching out to John R. Phillips, then U.S. ambassador to Italy, seeking assistance for a Burisma subsidiary while serving on the Ukrainian energy company’s board of directors. “It was great seeing you in Rome recently,” Biden wrote in the letter, which was printed on Burisma letterhead.
https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1908182273343565925
After introducing himself as a board member of Burisma Group and an Independent Director at Burisma Geothermal, Biden explained that this new division focused on geothermal power development was facing challenges with regional authorizations.
“I would like to take this opportunity to ask for your support and guidance in arranging a meeting for representatives from Burisma with the President of Tuscany Region, Mr. Enrico Rossi. “This would be a wonderful opportunity to introduce geothermal projects led by Burisma Group, to highlight their social and economic benefits for local communities and develop a common action plan that would lead to further development of the Tuscany Region,” he wrote.
https://twitter.com/kenvogel/status/1908164843267322021
The correspondence provides concrete evidence of how Hunter Biden utilized his connections to high-ranking officials during his father’s vice presidency to advance Burisma’s interests. Ambassador Phillips’s response indicated a willingness to help, albeit with certain limitations. “It seems like yesterday that you were in Rome,” Phillips responded. “I hope this finds you well. Thank you for your letter. I know Enrico Rossi well and have a good working relationship with him. “I spoke to the Senior Commercial Officer at the Embassy, and though the amount of direct support we can provide to a Ukrainian company is limited, I’ve asked him to be the point of contact, see where our interests may overlap, and facilitate contact with Mr. Rossi.” The timing of this revelation coincides with Hunter Biden’s recent decision to surrender his Washington, D.C. law license.
According to Politico, this move may have been intended to avoid lengthy proceedings regarding his past conduct. The disclosure also comes after President Biden’s unconditional pardon of his son for potential crimes dating back to 2014, coinciding with the start of Hunter’s lucrative position on Burisma’s board.
