Burisma Lawyer’s Late FARA Filing Sparks Controversy

On Thursday, John Buretta, a former defense lawyer for Mykola Zlochevsky, the ex-head of Burisma, retroactively registered as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). This belated disclosure, involving work conducted over seven years ago reignited scrutiny over the Ukrainian energy company’s operations, especially regarding its ties with Hunter Biden.

Buretta is a member of the prominent New York-based law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore and disclosed his legal representation of Zlochevsky and Burisma in his filing for activities dating back to 2016. Buretta’s work included meetings with top Obama administration officials and handling potential U.S. and Ukrainian investigations.

In March 2016, when Buretta was actively involved with Burisma, Ukraine’s then-prosecutor general, Viktor Shokin, was dismissed following public pressure by then-Vice President Joe Biden. The elder Biden has, of course, been seen bragging on video recordings bragging about his actions threatening to withhold U.S. foreign aid from Ukraine in order to compel the Ukrainian government to terminate Shokin.

This week’s filing also raises new questions about the Biden Justice Department’s application of FARA. Notably, there was a marked increase in FARA enforcement under the Trump administration, leading to high-profile prosecutions, including that of Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman.

Despite the testimony of IRS whistleblowers that Hunter Biden has been investigated, at least informally, in the past for potential FARA violations, the first son has never been charged with any offenses related to foreign lobbying work. Allegations have swirled around Hunter, suggesting that his involvement with Burisma was less about his legal expertise and more about his influential family name and connections inside the federal government.

As House Republicans continue their investigations into the Biden family’s foreign business dealings, these latest developments add more fuel to the fire. The selective enforcement of FARA, the belated admissions by legal representatives of crucial figures in Ukrainian energy politics, and the ongoing questions about Hunter Biden’s role and earnings from Burisma all contribute to a complex narrative regarding illegal activity and governmental impropriety.