SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Spencer Cox announced the state of Utah forced a Chinese company to sell a motor sports park in Tooele County that was located precariously close to sensitive military sites.
"This is not about fear, it's certainly not about targeting people, this is about protecting Utah's land, water, infrastructure and our service members," Gov. Cox said at a news conference Thursday. "We welcome lawful investment and partnership but we will not allow other adversarial governments to gain leverage over critical assets."
The company was accused of being too closely affiliated with the Chinese government. Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said they were able to build enough evidence to tie the company to the restricted foreign entity. The company was forced to divest the property under the law, which FOX 13 News first reported on in 2023.
"That land has now been divested, is in the hands of a domestic partner and back under Utah's control," Mason said.
Lawmakers suggested the property could be used to spy on sensitive military sites nearby. House Majority Whip Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman, who has sponsored bills blocking property purchases by restricted foreign entities, said she was glad to see it happen.
"The land that has just been transferred and purchased by a Utah company is located right next to the Tooele Army Depot and the Utah Test & Training Range, one of the most critical military testing areas in the United States," she told reporters. "We test advanced weapons systems and military capabilities essential to our national defense. So you can see why it would be concerning that a CCP-owned company had set up shop next door."
Gov. Cox said there are concerns that drones could be launched from the property to spy on sensitive military facilities.
Tooele County praised the forced divestiture in a statement to FOX 13 News.
"Here at Tooele County, we are excited about the new ownership of Burt Brothers Motorsports Campus and the opportunities it represents for our community. We look forward to the economic growth, increased tourism, and expanded partnerships this transition can bring. The Motorsports Campus is an important asset to our region, and we are optimistic about its continued success and positive impact on Tooele County," assistant county manager Brittany Lopez said in a statement.
"We would also like to thank Governor Cox, Rep. Bolinder, and members of the Utah Legislature for their support in helping make this possible."
Rep. Pierucci said she has a new bill that would force more companies to divest land because of their ties to "hostile actors" by lowering the ownership threshold from 51% to 25%. Other lawmakers are running bills to shore up critical infrastructure like water systems from cyberattacks and even bills restricting what happens to genetic information.
The state recently blocked a land purchase near the Provo airport over similar concerns.
