R.N.C. Accepts money from Steve Wynn, nabob accused of sexual misconduct

President Trump is generally opposed to the #MeToo movement, alongside men who deny accusations of sexual assault or misconduct.

Now the Republican National Committee seems to follow his example.

Steve Wynn, the billionaire former casino magnate, resigned as chairman of Wynn Resorts and chairman of the finance department of R.N.C. Last year, after the Wall Street Journal revealed allegations of sexual assault and harassment spanning several decades, recently gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to the committee.

On Thursday, he was spotted by television cameras that were arriving at a very expensive dinner in favor of Mr. Trump and the committee, dressed in a red blazer and a matching red cravat.

The event, a 40-person dinner with the president on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, was hosted by Howard Lutnick, managing director of Wall Street's Cantor Fitzgerald, and raised more than $ 5 million. , according to Trump employees. The dinner participants, in conversations after the event, did not mention that Mr. Wynn, 77 years old, had been present.

It was unclear whether Mr. Trump and Mr. Wynn, who denied the allegations, had spoken privately in front of Mr. Lutnick's penthouse.

Politico announced last week that Wynn had paid $ 248,500 to the Republican National Committee and an additional $ 150,000 to the National Republican Committee of Senators in April. In the past, he and his wife had made a donation, but this time it was all about him.

Republican officials insisted that there was a difference between holding the position of finance president while fighting serious allegations of sexual misconduct and simply giving money away.

Nevertheless, the UK's decision to accept Mr Wynn's money – and not to return the funds he has paid in the past – opens the fundraising committee to questions of hypocrisy.

Ronna McDaniel, president of the RNC, frequently called on the Democratic National Committee to return all the money received from Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood producer accused by dozens of women of harassment, assault and rape and who was a prolific democratic donor. a close friend of Hillary Clinton.

"During allegations of sexual harassment that lasted three decades, Weinstein put millions of dollars in the pockets of Democrats," Ms. McDaniel wrote on Twitter in 2017. "If the DNC really defends women as they say, then making Weinstein's dirty money should be obvious."

The National Democratic Committee has given some of Mr. Weinstein's contributions to Liberal women's groups. Ms. McDaniel drew a distinction between Mr. Wynn and Mr. Weinstein because, she said, Mr. Wynn denied the charges against him. But Mr. Weinstein, charged with raping in New York, pleaded not guilty.

"Although we must take such allegations seriously, everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence and due process," she said in a statement. "In the last 18 months, several investigations into the charges against Steve Wynn have been successful. Throughout this process, Steve repeatedly and unequivocally denied wrongdoing, and he has not been charged or convicted of any crime. At this point, there is no reason to refuse support. "

Mr. Wynn has been charged with rape by a former salon employee and longstanding sexual misconduct. He resigned as President of Wynn Resorts and Finance Chair of the committee early last year.

But he was not excommunicated by Mr. Trump, who has his own troubled history with women, touted the sexual assault and has always shown that it is safe to say. the men – at least of his own party – who proclaimed their innocence in the face of accusations of sexual violence. misconduct. Last month, Wynn met with Trump on the Las Vegas tarmac after the president's speech to the Jewish Republican Coalition.