A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit against casino developer Steve Wynn that sought to force him to register as a foreign agent due to lobbying work the agency says he did for China during the Trump administration.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said the Justice Department could not compel Wynn to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) because any relationship Wynn had with Beijing ended in 2017.
“We are delighted that the District Court today dismissed the government’s ill-conceived lawsuit against Steve Wynn,” Wynn attorneys Reid Weingarten and Robert Luskin said in a statement. “Mr. Wynn never acted as an agent of the Chinese government and never lobbied on its behalf.”
STEVE WYNN SUED BY JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Casino mogul Steve Wynn listens during a news conference in Medford, Massachusetts, on March 15, 2016.
FARA requires anyone who lobbies on behalf of a foreign government or entity to register their work with the U.S. government.
The judge’s decision comes after Wynn’s attorneys moved to dismiss the case.
FLASHBACK: STEVE WYNN FACES BAN FROM CASINO INDUSTRY AFTER NEVADA GAMBLING REGULATORS FILE COMPLAINT
Attorney General Merrick Garland delivers a statement at the Department of Justice on Aug. 11, 2022, in Washington. The Justice Department filed a suit against casino mogul Steve Wynn that was dropped this week. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The Justice Department’s lawsuit against Wynn alleged that he lobbied then-President Donald Trump and members of his administration in 2017 to expel a Chinese citizen from the United States who had been charged with corruption in China and was seeking political asylum in America. Those efforts were unsuccessful.
The complaint said Wynn’s effort was conducted on behalf of senior Chinese government officials and alleged that Wynn was motivated to protect his own business interests in China.
People walk by Wynn Las Vegas on Jan. 27, 2018. (Richard Brian/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, File)
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Wynn, a GOP donor and the former finance chair of the Republican National Committee, resigned in 2018 as chairman and CEO of his casino and resorts after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.