WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The White House is now being queried on the connections to Ray Hunt, head of Hunt Oil Corp., regarding the companies deal with Iraq’s Kurdistan government.

Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., has sent a letter raising concerns over Hunt’s role on the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. Markey wants answers to 13 questions on Hunt’s role as well as what the White House knew about the deal.

Hunt Oil and the Kurdistan Regional Government signed an exploration and production contract Sept. 8. Baghdad was already furious at the KRG for signing previous oil deals and passing its own regional oil law.

The KRG says Baghdad isn’t moving fast enough on a national law governing the oil sector and claims it has the constitutional right to sign the deals.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Bergner, in a response Thursday to two letters from Markey concerning the Hunt-KRG deal, said the department warned Hunt prior to signing the deal.