A year later, Missouri attorney general serves Chinese Communist Party in COVID lawsuit

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has served the Chinese Communist Party and other defendants in a lawsuit filed more than a year ago over China’s role in spreading the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement by Schmitt on Tuesday that he successfully served several defendants in a lawsuit dating back to April 2020 underscores the glacial pace of the litigation, which may remain unresolved for years to come. Schmitt is still in the process of serving the Chinese government, a key defendant.

But it draws new attention to the lawsuit as Schmitt runs a Republican campaign for U.S. Senate. Punishing China over its handling of the early spread of the virus is a goal of some conservatives and Schmitt’s litigation may be attractive to GOP voters.

Missouri Democrats have dismissed the suit as a political stunt and waste of taxpayer money. Legal experts have said it stands little chance of success.

“I filed this suit to hold the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese authorities accountable for their role in the COVID-19 pandemic, which has taken lives, ruined businesses, destroyed economies, and more. Serving these entities is an important step in that process,” Schmitt said in a statement.

Schmitt said his office had worked “tirelessly to navigate the complexities of international law” in order to serve the lawsuit. His office served the Chinese Communist Party, the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences through email after first attempting to serve papers through The Hague Convention, an international agreement that governs relationships between countries.

China objected to being served through The Hague Convention and Schmitt obtained permission from a federal court to serve defendants via email. Schmitt said his office is using diplomatic channels to serve the Chinese government. His statement didn’t provide a timeline for when that might happen.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges Chinese authorities deceived the public, suppressed information and permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus.

Schmitt’s announcement came the day after he stepped down as chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson took over the position from Schmitt, who became chairman in April on a temporary basis.

The group has faced internal divisions over its direction following the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.