Derek Utley Sues Alex Bruesewitz Over Alleged Qatari Payments

Derek Utley, co-founder of the digital strategy firm X Strategies, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach accusing his former partner, Alex Bruesewitz, of accepting approximately $500,000 from individuals associated with Qatar. Utley alleges that Bruesewitz, a former aide to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign and current senior adviser to the Never Surrender PAC, failed to disclose these payments, which may violate the Foreign Agent Registration Act.

The lawsuit further claims Bruesewitz accepted a honeymoon in the Maldives funded by Qatari-based Syrian billionaires from the Al-Khayyat family. Utley also alleges that Bruesewitz attempted to secure a $1 million advisory deal with a Danish investment firm by offering access to U.S. government officials.

Bruesewitz denied the allegations, stating he never accepted money from foreign governments or companies and refused a speaking fee for the Doha Forum. His lawyer, Bradford Cohen, described the claims as "flaccid and defamatory." This legal action follows a separate lawsuit filed by Bruesewitz against Utley in September, which alleged that Utley misappropriated millions of dollars from X Strategies.