Missouri scores ‘landmark victory’ in $24B COVID-19 lawsuit against China

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey celebrated Friday after a judge ruled in his state’s favor vis-à-vis its $24 billion lawsuit against the Chinese Communist Party.

“Hey China, You owe Missouri $24 BILLION,” he wrote on Twitter/X. “I just won a judgment in court. Pay up — or we start seizing assets and farmland.”

Hey China,

You owe Missouri $24 BILLION.

I just won a judgment in court.

Pay up — or we start seizing assets and farmland.

— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) March 7, 2025

Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr.’s ruling came almost exactly five years after then-Missouri AG Eric Schmitt sued China during the start of the COVID pandemic.

Schmitt alleged in the suit that China officials were responsible for having “deceived the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical research, permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus, and even hoarded personal protective equipment—thus causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable.”

The suit also slammed Chinese officials for allowing tens of thousands of people to travel in and out of Wuhan — where the Wuhan Institute of Virology is located — even after becoming aware of COVID-19.

“In mid-January, on or around January 16, despite knowing the risks of doing so, Wuhan leaders hosted a potluck dinner for 40,000 residents, increasing the potential spread of the virus,” it read. “Defendants allowed these massive public gatherings and massive exodus from Wuhan despite knowing the risks of COVID-19, including the risk of human-to-human transmission.”

BREAKING: When I was AG in Missouri I sued China for unleashing Covid on the world

My successor & friend @AGAndrewBailey continued the work & today the court awarded Missouri $24+ Billion in damages

Missouri can now seize assets

Just call us the Show Me (the money) state.

— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) March 7, 2025

Judge Limbaugh, a George W. Bush appointee, originally dismissed the suit, but an appellate court later returned it to him.

“Missouri’s overarching theory is that China leveraged the world’s ignorance about COVID-19,” U.S. Eighth District Court of Appeals Judge David Stras wrote in the ruling, as reported by Fox News. “One way it did so was by manipulating the worldwide personal-protective-equipment market. Missouri must still prove it, but it has alleged enough to allow the claim to proceed beyond a jurisdictional dismissal on the pleadings.”

BREAKING: The Eighth Circuit has ruled in favor of Missouri in our lawsuit against communist China for the harm it caused Americans during COVID-19.

We are headed back to court to pursue remedies.

— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) January 10, 2024

Limbaugh subsequently held a bench trial, but the Chinese didn’t even show up. Regardless, after hearing the plaintiffs’ arguments, Limbaugh winded up agreeing with all of their observations.

“China’s campaign to hoard the global supply of PPE was performed in conjunction with its repeated misrepresentations on the existence, and then scope and human-to-human transmissibility of, the COVID-19 virus,” he wrote in his ruling Friday. “Plaintiff has submitted into the record substantial evidence demonstrating as much.”

But as is typical for China, its officials refuse to accept the judgment.

“The so-called lawsuit has no basis in fact, law or international precedence,” a CCP spokesperson told The New York Times. “China does not and will not accept it. If China’s interests are harmed, we will firmly take reciprocal countermeasures according to international law.”

But their gripes don’t matter, according to Bailey.

“China refused to show up to court, but that doesn’t mean they get away with causing untold suffering and economic devastation. We intend to collect every penny by seizing Chinese-owned assets, including Missouri farmland,” he said in a statement.

It’s known that China became aware of COVID-19’s human-to-human transmission capabilities as early as September of 2019. Yet the CCP denied the virus’ existence until late December of that year and then denied its transmission capabilities until late January of 2020.

After Friday’s ruling, social media users congratulated and praised Bailey.

Look:

Excellent! We need to sue Democrats too for lock downs and masks, watching our loved ones die (intentionally) from outside windows.

— bsullivan02026 (@bsullivan02026) March 8, 2025

Excellent job Sir!!! Well done! The American people appreciate a man willing to stand and fight for what’s right. Very few will but you and Trump are true men for the people.

— #1Covefefegirl (@MelFarnwalt) March 8, 2025

That’s what I call taking it to the communists, great job AG Bailey

China needs to learn they can’t just ignore US courts and debts owed to our states

Time to collect that $24 billion, no more free rides for China

— Stop Socialist Tyranny (@endlibtyranny) March 7, 2025

Every state should be filing similar lawsuits. As a representatives of the states, please follow this great example of Patriotism & devotion.

Congratulations AG Bailey! Great job! And as a citizen of the US who had to deal with covid, thank you for speaking up for us. pic.twitter.com/VfxLn0FS0q

— SaltyBeachMAGAgirl ❤️ (@SaltyBeach) March 8, 2025

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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