Steve Wynn May Face Justice Department Action for Role in China’s Push to Expel Businessman

WSJ May 26, 2021 (excerpts)

… Prosecutors are preparing to sue the casino mogul, citing his 2017 efforts to get the U.S. to expel Guo Wengui, people familiar with the matter say ….

The Justice Department has told casino mogul Steve Wynn to register as a lobbyist in connection with his 2017 efforts to obtain a diplomatic favor long sought by Chinese authorities, and is preparing to go to court to force him to comply, according to people familiar with the matter....

Last year, two of Mr. Wynn’s associates admitted in plea agreements with the Justice Department that in June and July 2017, they had discussed Mr. Guo’s removal with Mr. Wynn, and helped facilitate calls between Mr. Wynn and a Chinese government official about Beijing’s desire for Mr. Guo’s removal from the U.S.

One of the associates, Elliott Broidy, also admitted that he was with Mr. Wynn on Mr. Wynn’s yacht in August 2017 when Mr. Wynn called Mr. Trump to ask about Mr. Guo’s status in the U.S. Mr. Broidy pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the foreign-lobbying law in connection with that and other work, but was pardoned by Mr. Trump on Mr. Trump’s final day in office.

The other associate, Nickie Lum Davis, who pleaded guilty last year to aiding and abetting FARA violations in connection with the work, said Mr. Broidy told her in a June 2017 text exchange that Mr. Wynn had “reiterated to POTUS” the necessity of denying Mr. Guo’s visa application, according to a document filed in her case.

In one message sent to Mr. Wynn via his wife, Andrea Hissom, according to a document in Ms. Davis’s case, Mr. Broidy said the Chinese government official had promised to help the U.S. with North Korea and other issues in exchange for Mr. Guo’s removal. Ms. Hissom responded on her husband’s behalf, according to the document: “This is with the highest levels of the state department and the defense department. They are working on this.”

At the time of their alleged efforts to remove Mr. Guo, Mr. Wynn was the national finance chairman of the Republican National Committee and Mr. Broidy was the committee’s national deputy finance chairman.

The Journal also reported in 2017 that Mr. Wynn, who then had interests in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau, had delivered to Mr. Trump a letter from the Chinese government about Mr. Guo, which Mr. Wynn has denied….

read … Steve Wynn-to-register-as-foreign-lobbyist

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