Steve Wynn, close friend of Donald Trump and until recently Finance Chair of the Republican National Committee, has been forced out as CEO of the company that carries his name. His departure was prompted by a WSJ story revealing a lengthy list of credible allegations that he had sexually harassed and assaulted dozens of female employees for decades.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal admitted this week that it killed a story about Wynn’s sexual assaults in 1998. The reporter was then asked to delete the draft from the paper’s computer system to remove all trace of it (she printed a copy and saved it). The article contained further damning details about the way Wynn sexually exploited female employees:
In a lawsuit, a Mirage cocktail server alleged supervisors did not protect women from gamblers who harassed them. She said waitresses were sent to sexually “accommodate” high rollers at the resort’s luxury villas throughout the 1990s.
Another server, upon bragging about her first grandchild in the early 1990s, reportedly was pressured into having sex with Wynn, who said he wanted to experience sex with a grandmother, according to a court filing.
Wynn’s comeuppance was delayed 20 years because of his wealth and the power he had in Las Vegas. He was ousted, at least in part because gaming regulators in Massachusetts, Nevada and Macau have begun investigations, penalties could include a revocation of gaming licenses. In his statement, Wynn said:
Most importantly, I want everyone to continue to be proud of this company and the many unique ways it will forever continue to delight guests.
Here’s hoping Steve Wynn has the chance to be “delighted” by spending the rest of his years in jail.
— @subirgrewal