Fox News, O’Leary Sued for Defamation Over Chinese Proxy Claims
Taylor Knuth, a former Utah nonprofit executive, sued Kevin O’Leary and Fox News Network LLC for allegedly defaming him by claiming he was a Chinese government operative opposing O’Leary’s proposed data center near the Great Salt Lake. Opposition from Box Elder County residents has already led O’Leary to reduce the project’s size, while separate litigation seeks to halt construction.
Taylor Knuth, former executive director of Alliance for a Better Utah, filed a defamation lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah against businessman Kevin O’Leary and Fox News Network LLC. Knuth alleges that O’Leary repeatedly claimed on Fox programs and social media that Knuth and the nonprofit were paid by the Chinese government to oppose O’Leary’s planned data center complex near the Great Salt Lake, despite having no evidence to support the allegations.
The project has faced substantial opposition from residents in Box Elder County, prompting O’Leary to cut its planned size in half. A separate legal effort is seeking to stop construction. Knuth is seeking damages and an injunction barring further disparaging statements; Fox says it corrected the record and will defend the case, while O’Leary has previously acknowledged he lacked evidence for the claims.