Diplomat told House committees that he flagged Hunter Biden's Ukraine work in 2015

A top U.S. diplomat told the House committees investigating President Trump's dealings with Ukraine Tuesday that he raised concerns about Hunter Biden's board position at a Ukrainian gas company in 2015, but was brushed off by an aide to former Vice President Joe Biden, reports the Washington Post.

Why it matters: George Kent's testimony is "the first known example of a career diplomat who raised concerns internally in the Obama administration" about Hunter Biden's work, writes the Post.

• Kent, a senior State Department official whose role includes overseeing Ukraine policy, also said he was concerned that Hunter Biden's position would make it more difficult for U.S. diplomats to carry out their work — particularly an anti-corruption campaign in Ukraine.
• He also said he raised concerns that the Ukrainian government might view Hunter Biden as a way to gain favor with his father.
• Kent further testified that the vice president's office told him that Joe Biden didn't have the "bandwidth" to deal with Hunter, as his other son, Beau Biden, was battling cancer at the time.

The big picture: Kent's testimony serves as a reminder that Democrats' impeachment inquiry keeps questions alive "about the former vice president’s handling of his son's foreign work at a precarious moment for his 2020 presidential campaign," notes the Post.

Go deeper:

• Fact check: What Joe and Hunter Biden actually did in Ukraine
• Hunter Biden and the glass floor for children of politicians
• Hunter Biden to step down from board of Chinese company