RNC’s finance chairman denies allegations of sexual misconduct
Casino mogul Steve Wynn has no immediate plans to relinquish his role as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee in the wake of reports detailing decades of alleged sexual misconduct, according to a company spokesman.
A report by the Wall Street Journal published Friday included interviews with dozens of people who have worked at Wynn’s casinos or been told of his behavior, including allegations that he pressured some employees to perform sex acts.
Wynn, 75, is an outsized figure in Las Vegas, where he built the Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio hotels and has used his wealth and influence for years mostly to the political benefit of Republicans. He is a one-time business rival of President Donald Trump, who last year named him head of the RNC’s fundraising operations after Wynn supported the president’s 2016 campaign.
Wynn Resorts — the company that bears his name — saw its stock price drop at least 8 percent in the wake of the Journal’s report.
But in a written statement, Wynn strongly denied the allegations, saying they stemmed from an ongoing divorce battle with his ex-wife.
“The idea that I ever assaulted any woman is preposterous. We find ourselves in a world where people can make allegations, regardless of the truth, and a person is left with the choice of weathering insulting publicity or engaging in multiyear lawsuits. It is deplorable for anyone to find themselves in this situation,” Wynn said.
The newspaper reported that Wynn’s actions were well known enough that employees would sometimes enter fake appointments in the books to help other female workers avoid him. In some cases, female employees in the salon would hide in back rooms if they knew Wynn was on his way to the casino. One case led to a $7.5 million settlement with a manicurist, the paper reported.
Wynn Resorts said there has never been a complaint made about Wynn to the company’s independent hotline for reporting harassment.
Neither the White House nor the Republican National Committee responded to request for comment Friday on Wynn’s status as the RNC’s finance chair.
Wynn has been a prolific Republican donor, contributing more than $600,000 to GOP causes last year, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Before backing Trump, Wynn made a $2,700 donation to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2015.