When Representative Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) proved that the Obama administration was clearly worried about the Biden-Burisma influence-peddling scheme during hearings on the impeachment of President Trump, the Left reacted with predictable rage.

George Conway, husband of presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway, called her trash and tweeted fake photo. A Twitter mob piled on.

But Trump backed her and called a rising star in the GOP.

Whatever the reaction to Stefanik’s ripping the lid a little farther off Biden-Burisma, the import of the matter is this: Obama’s top deputies thought Hunter Biden could be a major problem for the administration.

Truth Out

The truth about the Obama administration’s worries surfaced when Stefanik, a 35-year-old Harvard alumna who represents New York’s 21st district, asked former ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch about Biden-Burisma.

That scandal is at the center of the Trump impeachment hearings and involves Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. When he was vice president, the senior Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees if Ukraine did not sack its prosecutor general, who was investigating Burisma Holdings, an energy company. Burisma had employed and enriched Hunter Biden, despite his lack of knowledge about energy or Ukraine and his record as a drug addict.

That “quid pro quo,” however — fire the prosecutor and get the money — is what President Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky to investigate in a phone call on July 25, which CIA whistleblower Eric Ciaramella claimed, in a hearsay account of the call, invited “foreign interference” in the 2020 election. Democrats also claim Trump threatened to withhold military aid if Ukraine didn’t probe Biden-Burisma.

But now, as The New American predicted weeks ago, Republicans are dragging Biden and his son Hunter into the impeachment inquiry.

On Thursday, during questions for Yovanovitch, Stefanik showed that the Biden-Burisma scandal had Obama’s people wondering whether Hunter might be a problem. Thus did they prep Yovanovitch to answer questions about the drug-addict’s good fortunes in Ukraine.

“The first time you personally became aware of Burisma was actually when you were being prepared by the Obama State Department for your Senate confirmation hearings,” Stefanik said. “And this was in the form of practice questions and answers. This was your deposition. This was in the form of practice questions and answers. And you testified that in this particular practice Q&A with the Obama State Department, it wasn’t just generally about Burisma and corruption. It was specifically about Hunter Biden and Burisma. Is that correct?”

“Yes it is,” Yovanovitch said.

Continued the congresswoman:

And the exact quote from your testimony, Ambassador, is, ‘The way the question was phrased in this model Q&A was, what can you tell us about Hunter Biden, you know, being named to the board of Burisma?’ So, for the millions of Americans watching, President Obama’s own State Department was so concerned about potential conflicts of interest from Hunter Biden’s role at Burisma that they raised it themselves while prepping this wonderful Ambassador nominee before her confirmation. And yet our Democratic colleagues and the chairman at this committee cried foul when we dare ask that same question that the Obama State Department was so concerned about. But we will continue asking it.

Stefanik added that the Obama administration never delivered lethal military aid to Ukraine, but the Trump administration did so, despite Trump’s putative threat to withhold aid if Ukraine did not probe the Biden-Burisma influence peddling scandal.

Yovanovitch isn’t the first witness to admit Obama’s people at State were worried about Hunter Biden. An top diplomat who tried to warn Biden’s staff about Hunter was ignored.

Conway Unhinged

Conway, who says his wife is part of Trump’s “cult,” twice attacked Stefanik after the performance.

In a since-deleted tweet, Conway wrote that “this woman doesn’t deserve to hold public office” and attached a photoshopped image of Stefanik giving the middle finger to the camera. And for a second time, Conway solicited funds for Stefanik’s 2020 opponent, Tedra Cobb, a pro-abortion hate-Trump leftist.

Answered Stefanik, “the photoshopped picture that the Leftist Twitter mob led by George Conway is circulating is FAKE — I’ve been so busy exposing Adam Schiff’s #regimeofsecrecy that I haven’t had time for a manicure in weeks!”

Before that, Conway tweeted that Stefanik is “lying trash” with the first appeal for Cobb.

That tweet came after a dust-up between Republicans and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff over the rules for asking questions. Hate-Trump leftists accused Republicans of purposely provoking a fight.

Conway contributed the legal maximum contribution to Cobb.

For his part, Trump does not share Conway’s opinion. “A new Republican Star is born,” Trump tweeted yesterday. “Great going @EliseStefanik!”

Photo: AP Images

R. Cort Kirkwood is a long-time contributor to The New American and a former newspaper editor.