The former casino tycoon Steve Wynn has received instructions from the US Justice Department, which requires him to register as a foreign lobbyist for China. As revealed by a person familiar with the matter, who was not named, the US Department of Justice also informed Mr. Wynn that it is ready to take him to court in case he does not comply with the instructions.
According to a person who asked not to be named because the matter is still a pending inquiry, the order has been made as a result of allegations that, in the summer of 2017, the former casino mogul made an effort to persuade US officials to send the Chinese businessman Guo Wengui back to China.
Guo fled his homeland in late 2014 after facing charges of bribery, corruption and fraud. Currently, Chinese authorities consider him a fugitive. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Chinese businessman linked to former President Donald Trump commented he was happy to hear that Mr. Wynn is being investigated by the Department. He was also quoted as saying that the authorities should press criminal charges of him of serving as the Chinese Communist Party’s spy.
Mr. Gao has worked with Stephen Bannon, a once-adviser to former President Trump. Bannon was aboard a yacht owned by the Chinese businessman off the coast of Connecticut at the time he was arrested in 2020 and charged with fraud. He was later pardoned by Trump as the latter was about to leave office. The indictment against him was dismissed by a federal judge earlier this week.
Everyone Representing Interest of Foreign Entities Must Report Their Relationship to the DOJ
The Foreign Agent Registration Act of 1938 requires any person who represents the interest of foreign governments and/or entities in the US to disclose their relationship to the Department of Justice. Furthermore, they are also required to disclose all of the activities they have been involved in on the foreign entities’ behalf and how much they were paid for that.
The 79-year-old Steve Wynn has been one of the key players who developed Las Vegas and transformed it into a gambling and entertainment destination for affluent travelers and high-roller gamblers from all over the world. His resorts have become iconic venues in the city, becoming popular not only with their gambling service offerings but also with the outdoor facilities and spectacles. Wynn Resorts Ltd has been one of the three US gambling companies that managed to get an operating license in Macau, the special administrative region of China that became the biggest gambling market on a global scale.
In the past, Mr. Wynn helped the Republican Party to raise funds for some of its initiatives and even assisted in the organization of former President Trump’s inauguration celebration. However, the gambling mogul faced trouble after several former employees revealed they had been sexually harassed by him. Eventually, in 2018, he sold all of his shears in the company and stepped down from his position.
According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, up to date, his net worth amounts to about $3.8 billion.
