Two Utah groups against Box Elder data center program file suit against O’Leary, Fox News
Opponents of the Box Elder County data center project have filed a defamation lawsuit against investor Kevin O'Leary and Fox News Network. This suit comes after O'Leary claimed the opponents had ties to China during an interview, a claim he later retracted and for which Fox News apologized.
Kevin O'Leary, an investor associated with the controversial Stratos Project Area data center in Box Elder County, Utah, and the Fox News Network are facing a defamation lawsuit from several project opponents. The plaintiffs, including Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, Joshua Kanter, and Gabrielle Finlayson, filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Utah.
The lawsuit was initiated after O'Leary, during a May 11 interview on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo, alleged that project critics had connections to the Chinese government. These claims were subsequently denied by the opponents. O'Leary later retracted his statements on June 25 via social media, admitting he had no evidence to support his assertions. Fox News also issued an apology, acknowledging the lack of substantiation for the claims.
Matthew Platkin, representing the plaintiffs, stated that Americans should not face professional harm due to false accusations on national television, criticizing O'Leary's "weekslong smear campaign" amplified by Fox News. Both O'Leary's legal counsel, Jeffrey Neiman, and Fox News Media have declared their intention to vigorously defend against the lawsuit. Neiman suggested the plaintiffs declined direct dialogue and are pursuing the suit for financial gain, while Fox News highlighted its public corrections made on air.