Democracy Dies in Darkness

Missouri is suing China over the coronavirus pandemic. It’s the latest conservative gambit.

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April 22, 2020 at 7:31 a.m. EDT
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, shown here in September, told Fox News’s Tucker Carlson on Tuesday that the “responsibility lies directly at [China's] feet” for the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the economic suffering so many families in his state are experiencing. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) sued the Chinese government and the ruling Communist Party on Tuesday, making his state the first to seek damages from China over its “appalling campaign of deceit, concealment, misfeasance, and inaction” that he says unleashed the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease,” Schmitt said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “They must be held accountable for their actions.”