Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
FOX News sued AGAIN along with Kevin O'Leary [View all]
Two Utah nonprofits allege they were defamed after the “Shark Tank” investor portrayed them as Chinese Communist Party proxies on the network.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/15/fox-news-kevin-oleary-sued-over-china-claims-against-data-center-critics-01000239
Excerpt --
Two Utah nonprofits and their founders sued Fox News and celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary on Wednesday, alleging they were defamed when O’Leary repeatedly claimed on the network that they were operating on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
The lawsuit stems from comments O’Leary made in May responding to opposition to his plans to build a 40,000-acre data center in the state. According to the complaint, O’Leary accused the plaintiffs of being “proxies for the Chinese government.” The plaintiffs are Joshua Kanter, founder of Alliance for a Better Utah, and Gabrielle Finlayson, founder of Elevate Strategies.
According to the complaint, the “Shark Tank” star repeated similar allegations during at least 10 separate appearances, claiming that he had proof from an investigation conducted by data scientists. The suit alleges Fox News continued inviting O’Leary on air and that network hosts affirmed or endorsed his claims even after the plaintiffs publicly denied them. O’Leary later retracted his statements after receiving a legal demand, and Fox News apologized, according to the complaint, but the plaintiffs argue reputational, financial and emotional damage had already been done.
O’Leary did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Fox News Media told POLITICO that it “publicly corrected the record on every program where on-air guest Kevin O’Leary’s comments were made, all of which was extensively publicized,” adding that it “will vigorously defend against this lawsuit.” The network in 2023 settled a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems for a record-setting $787.5 million.
Two Utah nonprofits and their founders sued Fox News and celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary on Wednesday, alleging they were defamed when O’Leary repeatedly claimed on the network that they were operating on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
The lawsuit stems from comments O’Leary made in May responding to opposition to his plans to build a 40,000-acre data center in the state. According to the complaint, O’Leary accused the plaintiffs of being “proxies for the Chinese government.” The plaintiffs are Joshua Kanter, founder of Alliance for a Better Utah, and Gabrielle Finlayson, founder of Elevate Strategies.
According to the complaint, the “Shark Tank” star repeated similar allegations during at least 10 separate appearances, claiming that he had proof from an investigation conducted by data scientists. The suit alleges Fox News continued inviting O’Leary on air and that network hosts affirmed or endorsed his claims even after the plaintiffs publicly denied them. O’Leary later retracted his statements after receiving a legal demand, and Fox News apologized, according to the complaint, but the plaintiffs argue reputational, financial and emotional damage had already been done.
O’Leary did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Fox News Media told POLITICO that it “publicly corrected the record on every program where on-air guest Kevin O’Leary’s comments were made, all of which was extensively publicized,” adding that it “will vigorously defend against this lawsuit.” The network in 2023 settled a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems for a record-setting $787.5 million.
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read