Before becoming a senator, Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., was not only an astronaut, but he also co-founded a company that specializes in spy balloons, which was funded, in part, by a venture capitalist in China with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Kelly, who is reportedly on a short list of running mate contenders under consideration by Vice President Kamala Harris, co-founded Tucson, Arizona-based World View in 2012 with a vision to provide space tourism using stratospheric balloons.
With Tencent’s ties to the Chinese government, World View told Fox News Digital on Saturday that Tencent has 'zero access, zero input and zero control' over the company. 'The current leadership believed it was a mistake for the company to accept Chinese investment when it did,' a company spokesperson said.
The incident raised tensions between the U.S. and China, along with concerns that the Chinese government was spying on America. Kelly stepped away from his position at World View in 2019 to prepare for his U.S. Senate run. The company spokesperson said the remaining financial interest Kelly has in World View is secured in a blind trust, adding Kelly gave up all of his access, interest and control of the company when he left.
Scarpinato could not be reached for further comment. Along with providing surveillance, World View offers remote sensing services to oil and gas companies, utility companies, mining and shipping companies, and insurance companies, among others.