DoJ Files a Lawsuit Against Steve Wynn, Ex-CEO of Wynn Resorts

May 19, 2022 China Crime & Legal Industry Updates

The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Steve Wynn, the founder of Wynn Resorts. According to DoJ, Wynn was lobbying for the Chinese government and was making demands to Donald Trump while he was acting president.

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The New York Times reported that China wanted the US to extradite a Chinese businessperson who was seeking political asylum in the US. The government used Wynn to lobby for its request to the Trump administration.

Moreover, the department noted that it requested Wynn to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) for more than four years. Since Wynn denied the request repeatedly, the department was left no choice but to file a lawsuit.

Matthew G Olsen, the DoJ national security division assistant attorney general, stated that the lawsuit is mirroring the department’s commitment to ensure transparency in the US democratic system. He also added that this is the first civil lawsuit under FARA in more than 30 years.

Olsen shed some additional light on FARA by stating that this act gives Americans the chance to know when a foreign government interferes in US internal affairs and uses an American to lobby and influence policy-making in the country. FARA was enacted in 1938 as a way to unmask Nazi propaganda across the US.