Following this afternoon’s bombshell report by The Wall Street Journal which detailed casino mogul and GOP mega-donor Steve Wynn’s history of sexual misconduct, End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller released the following statement:
“Throughout his political career, Senator Heller has touted and benefited from his friendship with Steve Wynn. In return, Heller has prioritized Steve Wynn’s agenda in Congress – even switching his vote on health care and putting thousands of Nevadans at risk for losing coverage.
“Heller needs to do more than show concern for these disturbing allegations. He must disavow Wynn and, for perhaps the first time in his career, put Nevadans first.”
BACKGROUND
Heller Called Adelson And Wynn “Friends,” And Said His Ties To Them Should Be “Part Of The Equation” For His Campaign To Lead The NRSC In 2016. “Nevada holds another advantage for Heller in the NRSC race: It’s also home to deep-pocketed GOP donors Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn. Adelson and his wife gave maximum donations to Heller’s 2012 campaign. Heller called Adelson and Wynn ‘friends,’ but said that his connection to the two casino moguls was not a ‘major push’ for his campaign. ‘[That’s] part of the equation, but nowhere near the full picture,’ he said.” [National Journal Daily, Extra AM, 11/12/14]
Heller Received $78,700 From Wynn Resorts From 2005-2018. [Center for Responsive Politics, Dean Heller, Contributors – Career, Accessed 1/26/18]
-
Wynn Was Rumored To Have Contributed Millions To Rove’s American Crossroads And Crossroads GPS In 2012. “Wynn is also rumored to have contributed millions to Rove’s American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS in 2012, though the groups are not required to disclose their donors. The groups spent more than $400 million that year, largely without success.” [Washington Examiner, 11/28/15]
-
Crossroads GPS Was The Top Spending Outside Group In The 2012 Nevada Senate Race At Over $6.6 Million, While American Crossroads Spent Another $346K. In 2012, outside groups American Crossroads, and Crossroads GPS spent a combined $7 million on Nevada senate race. Center for Responsive Politics, Accessed 7/19/17]
Heller Voted To Repeal The Affordable Health Care Act After Pressure From Steve Wynn And Trump. “Mr. Adelson and Mr. Wynn, two of Las Vegas’s leading gambling titans, each contacted Mr. Heller at the request of the White House last week to complain about his opposition to the Republican-written health overhaul, according to multiple Republican officials. One ally of Mr. Heller’s acknowledged that Mr. Adelson and Mr. Wynn were unhappy with the senator at the moment and that their relationship needed some repair work.” [New York Times, 7/1/17] “Nevada Sen. Dean Heller’s summer of reversals on health care have closely mirrored the gravest political threat he has faced in the moment. […] Sandoval didn’t back the GOP bill at the time — the so-called ‘skinny bill’ — but Heller voted for that measure anyway while offering up a non-binding resolution to express support for Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. (The ‘skinny bill’ failed in a dramatic late-night vote.) His shift was punctuated by a White House meeting in which Trump said he thought Heller would bow to political pressure and vote to repeal Obamacare. ‘He wants to remain a senator, doesn’t he?’ Trump said.” [CNN, 9/21/17]
###