Kevin O'Leary, Fox News Sued Over Claims About Utah Data Center Opponents
Kevin O'Leary, a businessman proposing a data center project in Utah, and Fox News are facing a defamation lawsuit. Two Utah nonprofits and several individuals allege O'Leary falsely accused them of ties to the Chinese Communist Party during his Fox News appearances, in connection to their opposition to his data center project. Fox News has since apologized for the remarks.
Businessman Kevin O'Leary and Fox News are being sued for defamation following comments O'Leary made about the opposition to his proposed data center project in Utah. The lawsuit was filed by two Utah nonprofits, Alliance for a Better Utah and Elevate Strategies, along with several individuals associated with these groups.
The plaintiffs accuse O'Leary of falsely claiming on Fox News that they had ties to the Chinese Communist Party. These accusations stemmed from the groups' local opposition to O'Leary's plan to build a massive data center on 40,000 acres in Utah.
The lawsuit alleges that Fox News repeatedly invited O'Leary to make these accusations, allowing them to reach a wide audience. However, Fox News has since apologized for the remarks, stating that it found no evidence to support the claims that the groups were funded by or working with Beijing's interests. O'Leary also affirmed that he had no evidence for his claims. Fox News announced it corrected the record and plans to vigorously defend against the lawsuit.