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UPDATED: Prominent Republicans stay silent on Wynn and the RNC

Where are all the elected officials who urged Democrats to return Harvey Weinstein's money?

Credit: (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Credit: (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

UPDATE: Politico reports Steve Wynn has resigned from his position as finance chair at the RNC.


Nearly 24 hours after the Wall Street Journal first broke the news that Las Vegas casino mogul and Republican National Committee finance chair Steve Wynn has an alleged history of sexually assault, Republicans have remained radio silent.

The RNC itself has yet to release a statement  or respond to repeated requests for comment. According to the Washington Post, Wynn has no immediate plans to resign from his post at the RNC.

But just two days after The New York Times first broke their story on Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual assault, the RNC urged Democrats and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to return all donations made by Weinstein, a prominent Democratic supporter. 

As finance chairman of the RNC, Wynn’s role is primarily to raise money for the party of President Donald Trump, an old friend and fellow businessman himself accused of sexual assault or harassment by 19 women. Just as Trump has denied the allegations against him, Wynn told the Wall Street Journal, “the idea that I ever assaulted any woman is preposterous.”

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One incident detailed in the Journal report alleges Wynn raped a woman whom he had hired to manicure his nails, and that he later paid the woman $7.5 million for her silence. The Wall Street Journal also suggests this wasn’t just a one-off incident; dozens of women, many of them workers at his casinos, came forward with their own stories of forced sexual contact at the hands of Wynn.

Over the years Wynn has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates and Republican-affiliated organizations, like the RNC. So will Republicans hold themselves accountable just as they held Democrats? All signs currently point to no.

Some of those who railed the loudest against Democrats for accepting funds from Harvey Weinstein are now silent on Wynn’s contributions to the RNC.

Reports are multiple media outlets — including at ThinkProgress — have been hounding Republicans for a statement on Wynn and his money. Sam Stein, a political editor at the Daily Beast, even reached out to former White House press secretary Sean Spicer for comment. Spicer, who echoed the RNC’s call for Democrats to return any donations from Harvey Weinstein, has yet to respond.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) hasn’t given a response to the Wynn story.

Neither has Rep. Steve King (R-IA).

Or Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO).

Nothing from the president’s inner circle either, including Counselor to the President, Kellyanne Conway and President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.

The Wynn Resorts board of directors is launching an investigation into the company CEO’s sexual assault allegations. There is, however, a glaring conflict of interest when it comes to the special committee leading the investigation – it is comprised of members from the company’s own board.