The decision may be a blow to the Republican Party’s fundraising as it gears up for midterm elections in November with an unpopular president as its standard-bearer.

“Today I accepted Steve Wynn’s resignation as Republican National Committee finance chair,�? the RNC’s Ronna Romney McDaniel said in a statement. Wynn’s departure was first reported by Politico.

Wynn, the founder of Wynn Resorts Ltd., paid $7.5 million to settle claims brought by a former manicurist at his Las Vegas resort who said he pressured her to have sex with him, the Wall Street Journal said Friday. The report contained numerous other allegations of harassment and coercion by other women.

Wynn, who turns 76 on Saturday, denied the allegations. “The idea that I ever assaulted any woman is preposterous,�? he said in a statement.

The board of directors of Wynn Resorts met and formed a special committee comprised of independent directors to investigate the allegations, according to a statement issued by the board.

‘Deeply Committed’

“The board is deeply committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all of the company’s employees and to operating with the highest ethical standards,�? it said in the statement.

Committee members contacted by Bloomberg said they first learned of the allegations from news reports. One, who asked not to be identified because he wasn’t authorized to speak for the party, said that in his view the Republican Party couldn’t keep Wynn in such a high-profile position given the nature of the accusations.

Under Wynn, the RNC set a fundraising record in 2017 for a non-election year. It ended November with $33.5 million more in the bank than its Democratic counterpart, thanks in part to the big donors Wynn can attract.

“Most of the credit for the cash on hand advantage goes to chairwoman McDaniel and her team. But Wynn was certainly a part of the success. He will be hard to replace, especially mid-cycle,�? said Dan Eberhart, chief executive officer of oilfield services firm Canary LLC and a Republican fundraiser. “It’s another worry the Republicans don’t need.�?

Reaching Women

The allegations come at a delicate time for the party, which needs to maintain its financial edge as it faces a wave of retiring House incumbents and an expensive Senate race in Florida.

The party is also struggling to improve its standing with women after its reputation was bruised last year in Alabama. Roy Moore, the party’s candidate for what had been one of its safest Senate seats, lost after allegations arose that he had sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl when he was in his mid-30s and had pursued other teenagers.

Republicans also have to contend with the fact that President Donald Trump, who personally asked Wynn to be the party’s top fundraiser, came under fire in 2016 for a video in which he made lewd comments while taping the television program “Access Hollywood�? in 2005. Separately, 19 women have accused the president of sexual misconduct.

Democratic Departures

As powerful men across an array of industries have been accused of harassing and abusing women, both parties have had to deal with misconduct allegations in their ranks. Democrats forced high-profile incumbents, including Senator Al Franken of Minnesota and Representative John Conyers of Michigan, to resign.

Among Republics, Representative Blake Farenthold of Texas decided not to seek re-election after a report surfaced that he used $84,000 of taxpayer money to settle a sexual-harassment complaint brought by a former aide.

Harvey Weinstein

Republicans have been critical of Democrats for accepting money from the movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who was a prolific fundraiser for the party as well. In response to the allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein, the RNC’s McDaniel tweeted that returning his money “would be a no-brainer.�?

According to the Journal, which said it had contacted more than 150 people who worked with Wynn, he coerced the manicurist and massage therapists to perform sex acts for $1,000 tips.

In his statement denying the allegations, Wynn told the Journal that it was “deplorable for anyone to find themselves in this situation.�?

The RNC didn’t respond to requests for comment. Michael Weaver, a spokesman for Wynn Resorts, declined to say whether he would remain at the RNC.

Remaining Silent

Democrats were quick to pounce. “They remain silent amid sexual assault allegations involving Steve Wynn, one of their party’s most senior officials,�? spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said in a statement. “We believe that women must be empowered and respected.�?

Wynn and Trump have a long history. They competed in the Atlantic City casino market two decades ago — a period that included a fierce court battle. They have since made amends, though Wynn has said he didn’t fully embrace Trump until he had already won.

Wynn said Trump asked him to be the committee’s finance chairman before the inauguration. His duties include building a national network of fundraisers and courting major donors, who increasingly have more options amid the rise of outside groups that can raise and spend unlimited sums.</s>Multiple women have described years’ worth of sexual harassment, including one accusation of sexual assault, by Las Vegas casino mogul and Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The gravest allegation concerns a woman who worked as aWynn resort manicurist, who said that in 2005, Wynn pressured her into sex after she gave him a manicure in his office. The manicurist was later paid a settlement reportedly worth $7.5 million. Wynn’s lawyers acknowledged the existence of the personal payment in a lawsuit over stock restrictions by Wynn’s ex-wife and former Wynn Resorts board member Elaine Wynn.

Another accusation comes from a former Wynn Las Vegas massage therapist, who said Wynn insisted that she masturbate him during appointments. Later, she said, he asked her for oral sex, which she refused. A second resort massage therapist described Wynn’s requests to “go higher” as she massaged his thighs, and a third former employee recalled Wynn asking her, “So when are you going to come into my office and fuck me?” Multiple former employees said they felt intimidated by Wynn’s power and dependent on him for jobs:

The contrast between Mr. Wynn’s position and that of the salon and spa employees is stark. Former employees said their awareness of Mr. Wynn’s power in Las Vegas, combined with the knowledge that the jobs they held were among the best-paying available there, added up to a feeling of dependence and intimidation when Mr. Wynn made requests of them. Some said that feeling was heightened at times by the presence in a confined office space of one or more of his German shepherds, trained to respond to commands in German.

A powerful figure in Las Vegas for decades, Wynn has built many of the city’s splashiest casinos, including the Bellagio, the Mirage, and Treasure Island, though his company currently controls the Encore, the Wynn Las Vegas, and two casinos in Macau, China. Forbes places Wynn’s wealth at an estimated $3.6 billion. He is also the finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, hosting a $100,000-per-couple campaign fundraiser for President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last weekend. The Washington Post reports that Wynn has “no immediate plans” to step down from his RNC position.

The Journal’s story goes on to describe Wynn, who turns 76 Saturday, as a frequent presence at his own resorts, often requesting spa services in his private office and walking around in short shorts without underwear that sometimes exposed his genitals. In a deposition from a separate lawsuit from the 1990s, a former executive of a Wynn-controlled casino said he “routinely received complaints from various department heads regarding Wynn’s chronic sexual harassment of female employees.”

Wynn denied accusations in a statement to the Journal, writing, “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.”

In a separate statement, Wynn Resorts accused Elaine Wynn of trying to “tarnish the reputation of Mr. Wynn in an attempt to pressure a revised divorce settlement.”</s>Casino billionaire Steve Wynn has resigned as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), a day after allegations of sexual harassment and assault emerged.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Mr Wynn routinely subjected women who worked for him to unwanted sexual advances in a pattern of misconduct detailed by dozens of employees.

Mr Wynn denied the claims as "preposterous" and accused his ex-wife Elaine of instigating the accusations as part of a "nasty lawsuit" seeking a revised divorce settlement.

"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 multi-year lawsuits," he added.

But in a statement released on Saturday night, Mr Wynn said he was resigning to avoid unnecessary distraction - and thanked President Trump for the job.

"The unbelievable success we have achieved must continue," he said. "The work we are doing to make America a better place is too important to be impaired by this distraction."

The 76-year-old founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Wynn Resorts Ltd has been a prominent figure in the casino resort business in Las Vegas.

After previously seeking to appear nonpartisan, he threw his support behind Mr Trump during the 2016 election campaign and donated money to several Republican causes including the RNC.

Mr Trump called Mr Wynn a "great friend" after he won the Nevada caucus in February 2016, and Wynn was named finance chairman of the committee in January 2017 after Mr Trump became president.

US Representative Francis Rooney of Florida is being considered as a replacement, one Republican fundraiser said.

The board of directors of Wynn Resorts said it had met to form a special committee consisting solely of independent directors to investigate the allegations reported by the Wall Street Journal.</s>WASHINGTON - Casino mogul Steve Wynn has resigned as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee amid allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

Wynn has been a prolific Republican donor and led the RNC's fundraising efforts during President Donald Trump's first year.

RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement Saturday that she accepted Wynn's resignation.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a number of women said they were harassed or assaulted by Wynn, the chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts.

Wynn's resignation was first reported by Politico.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Las Vegas casino magnate and Republican National Committee (RNC) finance chairman Steve Wynn has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen employees.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Wynn reached a $7.5 million settlement with a former manicurist on one of his Las Vegas properties after forcing her to have sex with him—an incident referenced in another lawsuit filed by the magnate’s ex-wife, Elaine Wynn. Wynn’s attorneys confirmed the payment had been made in a court filing obtained by the Journal.

Dozens of employees on Wynn’s properties told the outlet that Wynn fostered an abusive culture and pressured employees into sexual situations. Several former employees added that female staffers would hide if they knew Wynn was passing one of their work areas.

Wynn denies the allegations, claiming, “the instigation of these accusations is the continued work of my ex-wife Elaine Wynn, with whom I am involved in a terrible and nasty lawsuit in which she is seeking a revised divorce settlement.”

After building lavish hotels and casinos in Las Vegas—including the iconic fixtures of the Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, Wynn and Encore casinos—Wynn built two new establishments in Macau, China and another $2.4 billion casino in the Boston area. With a net worth estimated at $3.8 billion by Forbes, Wynn was a rival to President Donald Trump when the Trump Organization expanded into the Las Vegas market.

In 2016, Trump called Wynn “a great friend.” Following Trump’s election, Wynn became the RNC’s finance chairman.

Following the Journal‘s report, Wynn Resorts stock plummeted by 10 percent.</s>Steve Wynn has resigned from his position as the Republican National Committee’s finance chairman, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has announced.

“Today I accepted Steve Wynn’s resignation as Republican National Committee Finance Chair,” McDaniel said in a statement. The Las Vegas Wynn Resorts casino billionaire – selected by President Donald Trump to the finance chairmanship – was the subject of a Wall Street Journal expose Friday in which he was accused of sexual misconduct by numerous female employees.

Wynn has denied the allegations, calling them “preposterous.”

Yesterday, Fox News confirmed that Wynn would no longer make appearances on its The Wise Guys program. “We will not be booking Steve Wynn on any potential future installments of ‘The Wise Guys,’ if it moves forward beyond a one-off special,” Fox said in a statement.

The WSJ report, based on dozens of interviews, included allegations that the 76-year-old Wynn harassed massage therapists he employed and forced one resort staff member to have sex with him.

Wynn released a statement to the press Friday saying, in part, “The instigation of these accusations is the continued work of my ex-wife Elaine Wynn, with whom I am involved in a terrible and nasty lawsuit.”</s>March 15, 2016, file photo, shows casino mogul Steve Wynn at a news conference in Medford, Mass. Wynn Resorts is denying multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault by its founder Steve Wynn, describing it as a smear campaign related to divorce

WASHINGTON (AP) — Casino mogul Steve Wynn resigned Saturday as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee amid allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

Wynn has been a prolific Republican donor and led the RNC's fundraising efforts during President Donald Trump's first year, helping the committee rake in more than $130 million.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a number of women said they were harassed or assaulted by Wynn, the chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts. Wynn has denied the allegations. One case led to a $7.5 million settlement with a manicurist, the newspaper reported.

Wynn was chosen by Trump to lead the RNC's fundraising effort, and he contributed more than $600,000 to GOP causes last year, according to the Federal Election Commission.

A person with direct knowledge of the situation said Trump had signed off on the decision for Wynn to resign. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to share private discussions.

Since 2013, Wynn has contributed nearly $2.4 million to GOP candidates and party organizations around the country, including 2017 special election winners as well as dozens of state Republican Party committees.

The allegations against Wynn have come during a wave of sexual misconduct claims against prominent media, entertainment and political figures that gained momentum last fall after the emergence of detailed allegations of rape and harassment involving movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

During the fall, RNC officials, including McDaniel, noted that Weinstein had been a top donor for Democrats, including 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

In early October, McDaniel tweeted that if the Democratic National Committee "truly stands up for women like they say they do, then returning Weinstein's dirty money should be a no-brainer."

The RNC has not yet said whether it will return any money donated by Wynn.</s>By KEN THOMAS and STEVE PEOPLES Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Casino mogul Steve Wynn has resigned as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee amid allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

Wynn has been a prolific Republican donor and led the RNC's fundraising efforts during President Donald Trump's first year.

RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement Saturday that she accepted Wynn's resignation.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a number of women said they were harassed or assaulted by Wynn, the chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts.

Wynn's resignation was first reported by Politico.</s>WASHINGTON—Casino mogul Steve Wynn is stepping down from his post as Republican National Committee finance chairman following a Wall Street Journal report alleging a decadeslong pattern of sexual misconduct by him.

“Effective today I am resigning as finance chairman of the RNC,” Mr. Wynn said in a statement Saturday.</s>
• Real estate magnate Steve Wynn stepped down Saturday as the finance chair of the Republican National Committee.
• Wynn has been accused of widespread sexual misconduct, including assault.
• Wynn, a prolific Republican donor, became the RNC's finance chair after President Donald Trump's election.



 Billionaire casino mogul Steve Wynn resigned Saturday as the Republican National Committee's finance chairman, Politico reported. Wynn's resignation comes a day after a report detailed dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct, including assault, against the businessman.

RNC chair Ronna McDaniel accepted Wynn's decision to step down, Politico said. McDaniel did not announce a replacement, and her statement did not make mention of the allegations against Wynn or what would happen with the money he donated to the party.

On Friday, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Wynn had engaged in sexual misconduct for decades, according to dozens of people who spoke with the publication. They accused Wynn of regularly intimidating employees of his Las Vegas casinos into performing sex acts. In one case, Wynn paid a $7.5 million settlement to a manicurist who accused him of forcing her to have sex with him in 2005.

Wynn fired back at the allegations, calling them "the continued work of my ex-wife Elaine Wynn, with whom I am involved in a terrible and nasty lawsuit in which she is seeking a revised divorce settlement.”

“The idea that I ever assaulted any woman is preposterous,” Wynn added in his statement to The Journal.

Trump selected Wynn as the RNC finance chair after his election. Wynn also served as a member of Trump's inaugural committee and donated $729,217 to the inauguration event through his company, Wynn Resorts.

Although Wynn didn't support Trump during the Republican presidential primary, he threw his support behind him during the general election, and has since praised Trump for "having the Unshakeable courage to do the right thing."

Wynn has been a prolific Republican donor for years, although he has also given money to some Democrats as well.

The billionaire has contributed millions to the RNC, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), President Donald Trump, Republican Sens. John McCain and Mitch McConnell, and Democrats Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, among many others.
In the United States, billionaire Steve Wynn, best known for his casino hotels and resorts, resigns as Republican National Committee finance chairman following sexual harassment reports, including a $7.5 million settlement with a former worker at his Las Vegas resort.