Judge ends lobbying suit against casino developer Steve Wynn

By ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought to force longtime casino developer Steve Wynn to register as a foreign agent. At issue was lobbying work that the department said he conducted at the behest of the Chinese government during the Trump administration. In his order, the judge didn’t address whether Wynn was functioning as an agent of Beijing. Instead, the judge said he agreed with Wynn’s lawyers that the Justice Department couldn’t compel Wynn now to register as a foreign agent because any relationship Wynn had with the Chinese government ended in 2017. Prosecutors said Wynn was motivated to protect his business interests in China — namely casinos in the Chinese territory of Macau.