Vegas tycoon quits resorts over harassment claims

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Las Vegas casino billionaire Steve Wynn announced Tuesday he was stepping down as chairman and CEO of his company Wynn Resorts following allegations of decades of sexual misconduct. "In the last couple of weeks, I have found myself the focus of an avalanche of negative publicity," Wynn said in a statement. "As I have reflected upon the environment this has created – one in which a rush to judgment takes precedence over everything else, including the facts – I have reached the conclusion I cannot continue to be effective in my current roles." The 76-year-old former business rival turned political ally of President Donald Trump resigned late last month from his role as Republican National Committee finance chairman, a post he had assumed after Trump took office in January 2017. Wynn has denied the allegations, first published in The Wall Street Journal, and accused his ex-wife Elaine of instigating the accusations as part of a "terrible and nasty lawsuit" seeking a revised divorce settlement.