By Xiao Ran, Vision Times
In a recent episode of “American Thought Leaders,” attorneys Justin Butterfield and Leah Patterson — legal counsel for Shen Yun Performing Arts and specialists in U.S. religious-freedom law — outlined how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has launched a campaign of “legal warfare” on American soil against both Falun Gong and Shen Yun.
They stressed that freedom of religion, protected by the First Amendment, lies at the heart of the U.S. Constitution. Yet, through lawsuits, bribery, and defamation, Beijing seeks to expand its domestic repression abroad by weaponizing legal systems, manipulating public opinion, and targeting faith-based organizations that expose its human rights’ abuses.
“If such infiltration goes unchecked,” warned Patterson, “it could undermine the very basis of America’s legal and moral order — the freedom of conscience on which this country was built.”
From domestic persecution to transnational suppression
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline rooted in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Despite being peaceful in nature, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a brutal persecution campaign targeting the faith in 1999. Since then, thousands of Falun Gong adherents have been subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, and even forced organ harvesting, as documented by numerous international rights groups and human rights’ activists.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
As Falun Gong practitioners continued peaceful advocacy overseas — most visibly through Shen Yun Performing Arts, founded in New York in 2006 and based in the U.S. — the CCP extended its repression beyond China’s borders. Shen Yun’s mission to revive traditional Chinese culture and its stage depictions of CCP human-rights abuses have made it a primary target and long-time thorn on the CCP’s side.
“The CCP believes it can do abroad what it does at home,” said Butterfield, adding, “That’s the mentality of long-arm control — they’re never content with their own territory.” Patterson noted: “By discrediting those who expose its crimes, the CCP justifies persecution of religious minorities, including Falun Gong. It’s a coordinated global influence campaign worth billions.”
Inside Beijing’s ‘legal warfare’ playbook
The attorneys described several tactics used to undermine Shen Yun and Falun Gong:
- Direct interference: Beijing operatives allegedly tried to bribe an IRS official to revoke Shen Yun’s nonprofit tax status — a move that would have crippled its U.S. operations. The “official” was an undercover FBI agent; two CCP agents were later arrested and convicted for the crime.
- Private-sector coercion: During a Chinese official’s visit to Houston, Falun Gong practitioners were forcibly evicted from hotel rooms they had rented for a peaceful protest. “The hotel did Beijing’s dirty work,” said Butterfield. A subsequent lawsuit reversed the decision, reaffirming U.S. religious-liberty protections and freedom of speech.
- Malicious lawsuits: A Chinese émigré living near Shen Yun’s campus in New York filed multiple frivolous environmental suits, all dismissed by U.S. courts. But even then, the actions drained resources and generated damaging publicity. Patterson likened the tactic to harassment used against Jewish congregations in zoning disputes: “They’ll demand fire inspections or parking studies — death by a thousand cuts.”
The ‘Sun v. Shen Yun’ case
One of the most publicized cases, Sun v. Shen Yun, involved a former dancer who accused the company of human trafficking after leaving the organization in 2015. The plaintiff claimed the school restricted internet use, banned pornography, and enforced early-morning training and spiritual study.
Butterfield and Patterson argued these were ordinary policies at a faith-based performing-arts academy, comparable to elite ballet or gymnastics schools. Their motion to dismiss emphasized that the “Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act” (TVPRA) requires proof of “serious harm,” which cannot include religious consequences such as “fear of going to hell.”
“Otherwise,” they warned, “every faith-based school in America could face trafficking allegations.”
The plaintiff had auditioned repeatedly, volunteered after leaving, and sued Shen Yun nearly a decade later — well beyond the statute of limitations. “They’re trying to redefine Falun Gong as a political movement, not a religion — as if opposing communism disqualifies you from faith,” said Patterson, adding, “It’s a distortion that serves the CCP’s agenda.”
Propaganda, widespread disinformation
Beyond the courtroom, the CCP also wages an extensive disinformation campaign targeting Shen Yun and Falun Gong. Negative stories are translated and republished by state-controlled media and sympathetic influencers. “They know they can’t bully directly,” said Butterfield, adding, “So they pay anti-religious YouTubers or bloggers to spread the lies.”
This strategy, they noted, reflects Beijing’s “United Front” approach by using proxies to silence critics while maintaining plausible deniability. The CCP’s objective, Butterfield and Patterson noted, is to control global narratives by turning open legal systems into tools of repression.
“In America, you can sue anyone for almost anything,” said Patterson. “Even frivolous lawsuits must be processed — that’s the vulnerability the CCP exploits.”
By forcing defendants to spend time and money on baseless cases, Beijing creates an atmosphere of intimidation even when the suits fail. “It’s like someone suing George Washington,” said Butterfield. “The case goes nowhere — but you still lose time, resources, and public trust.”
Weaponizing the American legal system
The attorneys likened the CCP’s intimidation tactics against religious freedom to manipulating the law as a weapon to intimidate and control. But the First Amendment protects both freedom from state religion and freedom to worship, they noted. “The Establishment Clause forbids government from creating a state religion,” said Patterson, adding, “while the Free Exercise Clause protects the right to practice. These are two sides of the same shield.”
The CCP, by contrast, demands that all faiths serve Party interests — a “state-above-God” system that criminalizes independent belief.
Ironically, the CCP’s lawfare has underscored the resilience of American law. Butterfield cited a case where a Jewish synagogue defeated local efforts to shut it down. “Every time we win,” he said, “we remind local officials where the constitutional line lies.” These victories come at a cost but educate the public on religious freedom and the limits of state power.
Global implications
The lawyers warned that Beijing’s strategy poses three main threats:
- Erosion of religious freedom through intimidation and fear
- A blueprint for authoritarian interference beyond China’s borders
- Targeted harassment of minority faiths and prisoners of conscience, including Chinese Christians, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Falun Gong practitioners.
The discovery of Chinese “police stations” in New York, disguised as “community centers,” demonstrates how Beijing monitors and intimidates exiles overseas. “The only answer,” Butterfield said, “is to fight back and win. Every victory proves their accusations are hollow.”
“Religious freedom matters most for minorities — those whose beliefs are least understood by the majority,” added Patterson.
A wake-up call
The CCP’s use of lawsuits and proxies to suppress dissent has triggered concern in both Europe and Canada, where similar interference cases have surfaced. Experts urge democratic nations to tighten foreign-agent laws and expand counter-intelligence oversight.
“This is not just about Shen Yun or Falun Gong,” said Patterson, adding, “It’s about defending conscience as a universal right.” As “American Thought Leaders” host Jan Jekielek concluded: “Freedom of conscience is the foundation of human liberty — and must never be taken for granted.”
In 2025, Beijing’s expanding “legal warfare” serves as a warning that freedom requires vigilance. The work of attorneys Butterfield and Patterson stands as a defense not only of Falun Gong and Shen Yun but of America’s core values. Their effort underscores that religious freedom — the cornerstone of conscience — must remain beyond the reach of tyranny.
Editor’s note: The attorneys’ remarks were made during an interview on “American Thought Leaders,” hosted by Jan Jekielek and produced by “The Epoch Times,” in early October 2025.
