Newly released emails show former prime minister Kevin Rudd skirted senior US officials in an attempt to secure a meeting with then secretary of state Hillary Clinton, surprising her powerful senior adviser Huma Abedin and diplomats.
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The latest release of the former Democratic presidential candidate's State Department emails show Ms Abedin warned Mrs Clinton about Mr Rudd's unusual approach in December 2011, saying the then Labor foreign minister had directly sought a bilateral meeting through her office.
The move, 18 months after Mr Rudd was deposed as prime minister by Julia Gillard, surprised then US ambassador to Australia Jeffery Bleich and assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, as an apparent departure from protocol.
In an email titled "Warning", Ms Abedin said Mrs Clinton's staff had said no to Mr Rudd's request and were trying to "buy some time to figure out" the situation.
The pair were both at an international conference on Afghanistan in Bonn, Germany.
"If Rudd tries to grab you, want to remind you he emailed me for a bilat," Ms Abedin wrote to Mrs Clinton in the email released overnight.
"I told you I was working on it.
"Needless to say, Kurt's staff and Jeff Bleich are surprised he went around them to get to you directly without co-ordination on message/policy etc."
Sections of the email are redacted and the reason for the proposed meeting is not known. Confidential information in the exchange will be declassified in 2041.
It is not the first time Mr Rudd has been included in the former first lady's controversial emails, being released by the US government after it was revealed she used a private server at her home while secretary of state.
Huma Abedin's email to Hillary Clinton date December 5, 2011.
The scandal was a key issue in last year's presidential election, contributing to Mrs Clinton's shock loss to Republican businessman Donald Trump.
In October it was revealed that, as Mr Rudd worked on a failed bid to become United Nations secretary-general, he emailed Mrs Clinton's presidential campaign chairman John Podesta to seek a meeting.
The emails, released as part of a suspected Russian hack of Mr Podesta's private Gmail account, did not detail what Mr Rudd wanted to discuss.
"I would appreciate a short chat before Christmas," the email signed only as "K", said.
Emails released in September prompted Mr Rudd to dismiss as "bullshit" suggestions he had sought a sympathy call from Mrs Clinton after he was rolled by Ms Gillard in 2010.
An email from Mr Bleich in June 2010 said the outgoing prime minister wanted to hear from Mrs Clinton, despite already speaking to President Barack Obama.
Mr Bleich said he had no strong view on Mr Rudd's hope for "a sympathetic call".
Last year Mr Rudd said he and Mrs Clinton had been friends for years and the pair spoke regularly.
