By now we all know that Hunter Biden was being paid $50,000 a month to sit on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, despite having no natural energy experience. Hunter himself admitted he wouldn't have had the position if it wasn't for his last name or his family's political connections.
A new report by award winning journalist John Solomon claims Burisma pressured the Obama administration to fire the prosecutor who was charged with investigating the company for corruption.
Freedom of Information Request Act (FOIA) documents show one of Burisma's U.S. representatives wanted to meet with Undersecretary of State Catherine Novelli in February 2016 to discuss getting the corruption allegations against the company dropped. Three weeks before that meeting, Ukrainian officials raided home of Burisma's owner, the very guy who employed Hunter Biden.
The representative used Hunter Biden as a reason the State Department should have a vested interest in sweeping things under the rug, as evidenced by a February 24, 2016 email between State employees:
Per our conversation, Karen Tramontano of Blue Star Strategies requested a meeting to discuss with U/S Novelli USG remarks alleging Burisma (Ukrainian energy company) of corruption. She noted that two high profile U.S. citizens are affiliated with the company (including Hunter Biden as a board member). Tramontano would like to talk with U/S Novelli about getting a better understanding of how the U.S. came to the determination that the company is corrupt. According to Tramontano there is no evidence of corruption, has been no hearing or process, and evidence to the contrary has not been considered. Would appreciate any background you may be able to provide on this issue and suggested TPs for U/S Novelli’s meeting.
According to Solomon, Novelli was the senior-most official overseeing the State Department's international energy issues. Tramontano worked as an attorney for Blue Star Strategies, a Washington-based public relations firm charged with ending the corruption investigation.
"Tramontano and another Blue Star official, Sally Painter, both alumni of Bill Clinton’s administration, worked with New York-based criminal defense attorney John Buretta to settle the Ukraine cases in late 2016 and 2017," Solomon wrote.
The meeting was scheduled to take place on March 1, 2016 but it unknown whether or not that meeting actually took place.
Devon Archer, Hunter Biden's business partner at Rosemont Seneca investments and another American on Burisma's board, secured a March 2, 2016 meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry, an email from Kerry's secretary revealed.
According to Soloman, Kerry's stepson, Christopher Heinz, worked with Archer and Hunter Biden at Rosemont Seneca but chose not to take part in Burisma.
"In fact, he wrote an email to his stepfather’s top aides in May 2014, pointedly distancing himself from the decision by Hunter Biden and Devon Archer to join Burisma’s board," Soloman wrote.
Heinz's spokesperson told The Washington Post he ended his business relationship with Biden and Archer over Burisma and "the lack of judgement" over the situation.