A group of 32 Chinese nationals who invested in an electric car company founded by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has sued McAuliffe and other key figures involved in GreenTech Automotive, claiming they were lured into a “scam” under false pretenses.
The suit, filed last week in Fairfax County Circuit Court, seeks damages of at least $17.92 million, the sum of the roughly $560,000 each investor put in through a controversial federal immigration program that allows foreigners to gain U.S. residency by investing in job-creating projects in economically struggling American regions.
Calling GreenTech a “scam perpetrated by savvy and politically connected operatives and businessmen,” the investors’ lawsuit claims GreenTech officials “painted a false picture” of the company’s viability to exploit Chinese immigrants hoping to come to America.
