The US Justice Department has sued Las Vegas and Macau casino mogul Steve Wynn to force him to register officially as an agent for the Chinese government.
Mr Wynn, the founder and former chief executive of Wynn Resorts, acted on behalf of Beijing in 2017 when he met Donald Trump, who was US president at the time, and senior administration officials in a Chinese effort to gain custody over exiled tycoon Guo Wengui, the department said.
Mr Guo was wanted in China for financial fraud and other allegations, but was close to Mr Trump’s adviser Steve Bannon, supporting Mr Bannon’s media business and other activities.
Mr Guo had asked for political asylum in the US.
The Justice Department said that in June and August 2017, Mr Wynn contacted Mr Trump and had dinner with the president to convey Beijing’s request that the US cancel Mr Guo’s visa or have him otherwise removed from the country.
Mr Wynn “engaged in these efforts at the request of Sun Lijun, then-vice minister of the MPS,” the Justice Department said, referring to China’s Ministry of Public Security.
Besides raising it with Mr Trump, Mr Wynn, who was a former Republican Party finance chairman, also had discussions with senior White House and National Security Council officials “about organising a meeting with Sun and other PRC government officials” on the issue, it said.
At the time, Mr Wynn’s company owned and operated three casinos in Macau, Asia’s largest gambling destination.
The Justice Department alleges that Mr Wynn carried out Mr Sun’s requests “out of a desire to protect his business interests in Macau”.
It says that Mr Wynn was advised that he had to register as a lobbyist for China under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, but refused to do so.
Mr Wynn was enlisted in the lobbying effort partly by another wealthy US businessman and former top Republican fundraiser, Elliott Broidy.
In 2020, Mr Broidy, a friend of Mr Trump, pleaded guilty to breaching the Foreign Agents Registration Act and forfeited $6.6 million in a plea deal.
Mr Wynn was forced to step down as chief executive of Wynn Resorts in 2018 amid sexual misconduct allegations.
In September, three companies owned by Mr Guo were ordered by the US Securities and Exchange Commission to pay $539 million in penalties to settle charges over illegal cryptocurrency sales.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
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RESULTS
Men – semi-finals
57kg – Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) beat Phuong Xuan Nguyen (VIE) 29-28; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) by points 30-27.
67kg – Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Huong The Nguyen (VIE) by points 30-27; Narin Wonglakhon (THA) v Mojtaba Taravati Aram (IRI) by points 29-28.
60kg – Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Amir Hosein Kaviani (IRI) 30-27; Long Doan Nguyen (VIE) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 29-28
63.5kg – Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Truong Cao Phat (VIE) 30-27; Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Norapat Khundam (THA) RSC round 3.
71kg – Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ) beat Fawzi Baltagi (LBN) 30-27; Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Man Kongsib (THA) 29-28
81kg – Ilyass Hbibali (UAE) beat Alexandr Tsarikov (KAZ) 29-28; Khaled Tarraf (LBN) beat Mustafa Al Tekreeti (IRQ) 30-27
86kg – Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Mohammed Al Qahtani (KSA) RSC round 1; Emil Umayev (KAZ) beat Ahmad Bahman (UAE) TKO round
match info
Maratha Arabians 138-2
C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15
Team Abu Dhabi 114-3
L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17
Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs
WITHIN%20SAND
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Roger Federer's 2018 record
Australian Open Champion
Rotterdam Champion
Indian Wells Runner-up
Miami Second round
Stuttgart Champion
Halle Runner-up
Wimbledon Quarter-finals
Cincinnati Runner-up
US Open Fourth round
Shanghai Semi-finals
Basel Champion
Paris Masters Semi-finals
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
