Steve Wynn, former chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts Ltd., is still facing the possibility of trial as early as next year due to his refusal to register as a Chinese foreign agent, according to recent filings from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The Justice Department filed suit against Wynn back in May, in efforts to force him to register as a foreign lobbyist after numerous refusals. In 2017, Wynn delivered a message to then-President Donald Trump on behalf of Chinese officials asking that Guo Wengui, an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, be extradited back to China.
Wynn has maintained in the years since that he wasn’t lobbying, and was just acting as a diplomatic messenger; the U.S. government has alleged that the casino mogul was acting to protect his business operations in Macau.
In any case, the recent filing indicated that neither side expects to reach a settlement. Wynn has already asked that the case be dismissed, and District Judge James Boasberg will make a decision on the matter within the next two weeks. If the case does proceed to trial, both sides would have 10 months to submit all relevant filings.
Even though Trump decided not to go through with the request, U.S. officials have said that Wynn is obligated to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). However, Wynn’s attorneys have argued that his relationship with the Chinese government ended alongside the request, and therefore he is no longer under any such obligation.
He has further alleged that the repeated harassment has violated his First and Fifth Amendment rights.
This lawsuit and potential trial represent just one of multiple legal actions currently surrounding the former casino executive—the Nevada Gaming Control Board recently announced that it is also preparing for disciplinary hearings involving Wynn in conjunction with the Nevada Gaming Commission over previous allegations of sexual harassment.
