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4w ago

O'Leary and Fox News Sued in Federal Court Over Alleged Chinese‑spy Accusations

Plaintiffs say the case will force scrutiny of how national media amplified unproven claims and could uncover the evidence and bookings behind those broadcasts.

Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary.
Kevin O'Leary accused several critics of his massive Stratos data center project of being foreign agents backed by the Chinese Communist Party.
Canadian businessman and media personality Kevin O'Leary, centre, is seen in Washington, D.C., in January. The celebrity investor is being sued by the founders of two Utah organizations opposed to his AI data centre plans, after they say he falsely claimed in interviews on Fox News they were acting as 'proxies for the Chinese government.'

Overview

  • The lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Utah names Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies and their founders as plaintiffs and accuses Kevin O'Leary of repeatedly calling them proxies for the Chinese Communist Party.
  • Plaintiffs say O'Leary made the accusations in at least 10 media appearances between May 11 and June 3 and that Fox repeatedly booked and amplified him without verifying the claims.
  • O'Leary posted on June 25 saying he had 'no evidence' that the groups or individuals were funded by China, and Fox has issued on‑air corrections that the network cites as part of its defense.
  • The complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages for alleged reputational, financial and emotional harm, while O'Leary's lawyers call the suit a 'cash grab' and say counterclaims and aggressive discovery are likely.
  • The dispute grew out of O'Leary's Stratos data‑center project in Box Elder County, Utah, which has prompted local pushback and a gubernatorial tightening of data‑center rules and could face further legal and regulatory fallout as the case proceeds.