Billionaire Chinese fugitive sues CNN host, Warner Media for calling him a ‘spy’
A billionaire Chinese fugitive has filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against CNN host Erin Burnett and the network’s parent company for calling him a spy during a segment for CNN’s “Outfront,” according to a new lawsuit.
Dissident Guo Wengui claims in Manhattan Supreme Court papers that during the July 23, 2019, broadcast Burnett led a segment by falsely implying he was an operative.
“New tonight, the Chinese billionaire and member of Mar-a-Lago accused of being a spy,” the anchor said of Guo, per the lawsuit.
The segment included commentary from Miami Herald reporter Sarah Blaskey, who is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
“Now, we just found out this past Friday from court filings in New York that a company that he partnered with in the past to do a bit of research, a U.S. based company, has accused him of trying to gather intel for the Chinese government,” the documents cite Blaskey as saying.
Attorneys for Guo say in court papers their client never worked for the company Blaskey was discussing, Strategic Vision US, and that the company’s own court claims against Guo have been previously dismissed.
“Defendants and Blaskey could have easily found this information if they reviewed the docket of the very same case from which Blaskey apparently derived her (mis)information,” the suit says.
While the 51-year-old is on China’s most-wanted list and is accused by the county of bribery, fraud and money laundering, Guo describes himself as a dissident and his attorneys say in the lawsuit that he is not a double agent.
“To be clear, and while the assertion does not dignify a response, Mr. Guo is not, nor has he ever been a spy for China,” the documents read. “To the Contrary, he has been an outspoken critic of the corruption in the Chinese Government and its ruling communist party. He has publicly vowed and contributed much of his considerable wealth, along with his heart and soul, into bringing the Rule of Law to China.”
CNN made false statements to “mislead viewers” and “garner view for a sensational ‘story’ with no regard for the truths or underlying facts,” the documents say.
Guo confirms in court papers he’s been a long-time member of Mar-a-Lago and says he’s seeking political asylum in the US as an anti-communist dissent.
Warner Media LLC and Burnett did not immediately respond to request for comment.