Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Hunter Biden, characterized Hunter Biden's letter to John Phillips, the U.S. ambassador in Rome at the time, seeking a "simple introduction" as a "normal and proper practice." He emphasized that no meetings occurred, no projects materialized, and that no requests directed to the U.S. were made, asserting that only an introduction was sought in Italy.
The New York Times, which reported the details of Hunter Biden's attempts, highlighted that it secured records related to the request after a lengthy legal struggle with the State Department. The newspaper had initially sought this information back in June 2021 and pursued legal avenues when the department failed to comply.
Lowell reiterated that Hunter's outreach was focused solely on making an introduction for Burisma's Geothermal company to the President of Tuscany, where relevant projects were under consideration. This, he argued, should be seen as a standard networking attempt rather than anything more questionable.
A response from an embassy aide reflected a level of caution and unease regarding the request for cooperation, stating, "I want to be careful about promising too much" regarding the U.S.'s involvement with the Ukrainian company. This response reflects the sensitivity surrounding such interactions.
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