In a stunning new twist to the long-running saga of Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, newly surfaced federal documents show that the son of then-Vice President Joe Biden directly sought — and received — help from the Obama State Department on behalf of a Ukrainian energy firm that was paying him a million-dollar salary. The documents show Hunter used his connections within the administration to secure diplomatic assistance for a geothermal subsidiary of Burisma Holdings operating in Italy. The revelation adds fresh fuel to Republican allegations of influence peddling by the Biden family during the Obama years. In July 2016, then-U.S. Ambassador to Italy John Phillips responded to a letter from Hunter with a striking offer: diplomatic assistance in brokering a meeting between Burisma representatives and Enrico Rossi, the president of Italy’s Tuscany region. “I know Enrico Rossi well and have a good working relationship with him,” Phillips wrote. “I’ve asked [a senior embassy official] to be the point of contact, see where our interests may overlap, and facilitate contact.” The letter, obtained and published by The New York Times, follows an earlier message from Hunter in which he asked the U.S. embassy in Rome for help arranging the meeting, referencing a recent visit to the city with his father, then-VP Biden. Phillips confirmed that Hunter appeared to be referring to a three-day official stay at the ambassador’s residence in 2015, during which both Bidens were present. A representative for Hunter claimed the mention of the trip was “heartfelt appreciation” and not an attempt to invoke his father’s political clout. Still, critics argue the timing and tone suggest otherwise. “This is yet another example of the Biden family’s playbook,” said House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who has led inquiries into alleged Biden family influence schemes. “Hunter cozies up to U.S. and foreign officials, cashes in on the Biden name, and gets the government to grease the wheels for his foreign paymasters.” Burisma hired Hunter Biden in 2014 to help polish the reputation of the company’s pro-Russian owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, following Ukraine’s revolution. At the time, Joe Biden had just taken over the White House’s Ukraine portfolio. Despite having no relevant experience in the energy sector, Hunter landed a lucrative board seat and, as recently as 2019, admitted he likely wouldn’t have been hired “if my last name weren’t Biden.” The newly uncovered records appear to corroborate long-standing claims that Hunter used his family name to secure preferential treatment and high-level access — and that officials in the Obama administration were responsive to his overtures. Compounding the controversy are earlier reports and laptop emails indicating that Joe Biden met with several of Hunter’s business associates — despite his repeated denials. These include alleged meetings with figures from China, Mexico, Russia, and Ukraine. The documents also reignite questions about Joe Biden’s role in the 2016 firing of Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who had been investigating Burisma’s leadership. Biden famously threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees unless Ukraine removed Shokin — a move Biden has defended as U.S. policy but which critics now view with suspicion, given the potential conflict of interest. Sworn testimony from Devon Archer, a former Hunter business partner, has revealed that Hunter called his father from Dubai during a meeting with Burisma executives in December […]