New questions are being raised over how a personal friend of President Bush secured an oil contract with the Kurdish regional government in Iraq last year. On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee said Bush administration officials knew the Texas-based Hunt Oil was planning on signing the deal, despite official US policy to discourage agreements that would undermine Iraq’s central government in Baghdad. Iraqi officials condemned the deal as illegal because Iraq still lacks a comprehensive oil law. Newly released documents show US officials did nothing to oppose the deal and even appeared to encourage it. Hunt CEO Ray Hunt has been a key Republican fundraiser. He sits on the board of directors for Halliburton and is a member of the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board under an appointment from President Bush. The disclosure comes amidst new controversy over the Bush administration’s admitted role in drafting no-bid contracts between the Iraqi government and five major Western oil companies.