New York Times sues State Department over Hunter Biden-related emails


The New York Times has sued the State Department to gain access to U.S. embassy emails mentioning Hunter Biden, President Biden's son, Insider reported Tuesday, citing court filings.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, requests access "to emails sent by officials at the U.S. embassy in Romania between 2015 and 2019 that contain keywords including 'Hunter Biden,'" Insider writes. Lawyers for the Times claim the State Department is stalling in responding to several Freedom of Information Act requests made by Times reporter Kenneth P. Vogel in June. Vogel had also asked for emails mentioning attorney Rudy Giuliani and Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of Hunter Biden. Vogel covered the president's son throughout the 2020 presidential campaign, often drawing ire from team Biden, adds Politico, who first reported the lawsuit's existence.
One of the goals of the lawsuit seems to be "finding out whether embassy officials did any favors on behalf of private businesses (including, presumably, that of the president's son) that would raise questions about possible conflicts of interest and corruption," Politico writes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"As a routine part of their reporting, New York Times journalists regularly seek potentially newsworthy information from a variety of sources, including from the U.S. government through FOIA requests," a Times spokesperon told Insider regarding the lawsuit. "We're hopeful the government will promptly release any relevant documents, and as always we are prepared to pursue our request through a lawsuit if necessary."
A previous GOP-led investigation into Hunter Biden's business dealings in China and Ukraine found no evidence of wrongdoing by the president's son, notes Insider.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Cracks appear in MAGA's pro-Israel front
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the world watches a humanitarian crisis unfold across Gaza, some of Israel's most staunchly conservative defenders have begun speaking out against its actions in the occupied territories
-
5 cultural trails to traverse by car
The Week Recommends Leave the hiking shoes at home
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein