A journalist who extensively covered the unusual election of a Ukrainian comedian to serve as the nation’s next president has been hired as his spokesperson, sparking ethical questions from both journalists and readers.

Lullia Mendel was writing about Volodymyr Zelensky just two weeks ago for the New York Times, and covered the president’s historic rise in the polls throughout his campaign for the US newspaper.

A recent article she co-authored with reporter Kenneth Vogel alleged Joe Biden faced conflict of interest questions in Ukraine — a purported controversy pushed by Donald Trump and his allies in Washington.

That article claims the former vice president’s son, Hunter Biden, was “part of a broad effort” in recruiting influential Democrats to join him on the board of an energy company owned by a Ukrainian oligarch, after it had come under scrutiny by officials during former President Barack Obama’s administration.

Viktor Shokin, the prosecutor general of Ukraine, had reportedly been considering opening extensive investigations into the company, Burisma Holdings, before he was voted out of the role by the Ukrainian Parliament in March 2016.

The article went on to claim Mr Biden’s son “had a stake in the outcome” of whether or not the prosecutor general would be removed from his post, so he and his father actively worked to ensure Mr Shokin would be ousted.

However, the article — published early last month — has raised numerous questions from readers, who called it a “hit job” as Ms Mendel announced her new role under the Ukrainian president.

Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Show all 26 1 /26 Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Volodymyr Zelenskiy, centre right, and his wife Olena Zelenska, greet supporters after exit polling gave the comedian a commanding lead AP Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Outgoing Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko raises his hand with his wife Maryna at his party headquarters in Kiev AFP/Getty Images Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy reacts following the announcement of the first exit poll REUTERS Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Comedian and leading Ukrainian presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy plays ping pong with a journalist at his election night gathering in Kiev, Ukraine. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off in a second-round election on April 21 Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Election officials count ballots at a polling station in Kiev during the first round of Ukraine's presidential election, AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures People walk in front of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev during Ukraine's presidential election AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian servicemen sit in a truck to head to a polling station, near the front line with pro-Russian separatists, near Butivka, Donetsk region AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian citizens living in Kyrgyzstan vote in Ukraine's presidential election at a polling station in the Ukrainian embassy in Bishke AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian citizens living in Kyrgyzstan vote in Ukraine's presidential election at a polling station in the Ukrainian embassy in Bishkek AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian citizens living in Kyrgyzstan vote in Ukraine's presidential election at a polling station in the Ukrainian embassy in Bishkek AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian citizens living in Kyrgyzstan vote in Ukraine's presidential election at a polling station in the Ukrainian embassy in Bishkek AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures A young girl casts the ballot of a man at a polling station in Kiev on the first round of Ukraine's presidential election, on. Exit polls are expected when voting stations close at 8 pm local time (1700 GMT). First preliminary results are expected several hours after. Barring a shock result in which one candidate crosses the 50 percent threshold in the first round, a run-off will be held on April 2 AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian comic actor, showman and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky waves in front of voting booths at a polling station during Ukraine's presidential election in Kiev AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Former Ukrainian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko speaks with the media after casting her ballot at a polling station during Ukraine's presidential election in Kiev AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Former Ukrainian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko speaks with the media after casting her ballot at a polling station during Ukraine's presidential election in Kiev AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Former Ukrainian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko speaks with the media after casting her ballot at a polling station during Ukraine's presidential election in Kiev AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian comic actor, showman and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky casts his ballot at a polling station during Ukraine's presidential election in Kiev AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian comic actor, showman and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky gestures in front of voting booths at a polling station during Ukraine's presidential election in Kiev AFP/Getty Images Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian comic actor, showman and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky walks with his ballot at a polling station during Ukraine's presidential election in Kiev AFP/Getty Images Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures A view of the building of the Ukrainian Central Election Commission in Kiev during Ukraine's presidential election. AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (L) casts his ballot at a polling station in Kiev on the first round of Ukraine's presidential election, The 53-year-old president has positioned himself during the political campaign as the only person able to stand up to the Kremlin and has promised to return Crimea to Ukraine if he is re-elected. AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures A voter emerges from the voting booth after filling out her ballot for Ukraine's presidential election in Kiev, Ukraine. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off in a second-round election on April 21. Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian president Petro O. Poroshenko (C), running for re-election, receives his ballot in Ukraine's presidential election on in Kiev, Ukraine. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off in a second-round election on April 21 Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures A woman holds her ballot as she leaves a voting booth at a polling station in Kiev on the first round of Ukraine's presidential election. - Exit polls are expected when voting stations close at 8 pm local time (1700 GMT). First preliminary results are expected several hours after. Barring a shock result in which one candidate crosses the 50 percent threshold in the first round, a run-off will be held on April 21 AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures A young girl casts the ballot of a man at a polling station in Kiev on the first round of Ukraine's presidential election. Exit polls are expected when voting stations close at 8 pm local time (1700 GMT). First preliminary results are expected several hours after. Barring a shock result in which one candidate crosses the 50 percent threshold in the first round, a run-off will be held on April 21 AFP/Getty Ukraine Elections 2019 in pictures Ukrainian servicemen queue to cast their ballots at a polling station near the front line line with pro-Russian separatists near Avdiivka, Donetsk region, during the first round of Ukraine's presidential election AFP/Getty

It became a point of focus when the co-author announced her new role on Monday, writing on Twitter: “Thanks everyone for your congratulations. There were 4000 applications. It is a big honour and big responsibility to become a spokesperson for the President of Ukraine @ZelenskyyUa.”

“The Administration will be as transparent as possible,” she added, announcing a meeting for later in the afternoon.

In a response to that tweet, Walter Shaub, the former director for the US Office of Government Ethics, wrote, “When did the NYT become aware that you had applied for this position?”

Journalists also called attention to the piece, with NBC News reporter Ben Collins writing on Twitter, “Hard to overstate how nuts this is. This instantly reeked of a Mercer Special, a clear attempt at Clinton Cash 2.0.”

The journalist appeared to have covered Mr Zelensky's campaign throughout the election, describing her future boss' victory in the election’s first-round of voting as a “walloping rebuke to the country’s political class,” in one article, also calling the candidate a “maverick with no political experience.”

Mr Biden has said he was unaware of his son’s work with Burisma and that he had conducted US policy without regard to his family’s business activities during his tenure as vice president.

Hunter Biden also denied any involvement in probes surrounding Burisma, telling the New York Times in a statement, “I have had no role whatsoever in relation to any investigation of Burisma, or any of its officers.”

“I explicitly limited my role to focus on corporate governance best practices to facilitate Burisma’s desire to expand globally,” he added.

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The New York Times terminated its public editor role — which presumably would have responded to a controversy of this sort — in 2017, announcing it would instead favour a “reader centre” and noting social media has allowed audiences to respond to controversies.