Steve Wynn

Steve Wynn is the donor who should have been exiled from politics but wasn't — a casino mogul who combined sexual misconduct allegations, illegal foreign lobbying, and massive political donations into a career that perfectly illustrates how money insulates the powerful from accountability. Born Stephen Alan Weinberg in 1942 in New Haven, Connecticut, Wynn got his start in the casino business after his father died and left him a struggling bingo parlor in Maryland. He leveraged that into Las Vegas casino development, building The Mirage in 1989 — the first mega-resort on the Strip — and transforming Las Vegas from a mob-run gambling town into a corporate entertainment destination. Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas, and Encore followed. At his peak, Wynn was the most powerful figure in the casino industry. Wynn's political connections were foundational to his business. Casino regulation is entirely government-controlled: every gaming license, every expansion, every new jurisdiction requires political approval. Wynn cultivated politicians at every level — state gaming commissions, governors, senators, and presidents. He was named RNC Finance Chair in 2017, putting him at the apex of Republican fundraising. Then it collapsed. In January 2018, the Wall Street Journal published allegations of sexual misconduct from dozens of women — employees, manicurists, and associates — spanning decades. The allegations included a $7.5 million settlement with a manicurist who said Wynn had forced her to have sex with him. Wynn denied the allegations but resigned as RNC Finance Chair and as CEO of Wynn Resorts. The company's stock dropped, and gaming regulators in multiple states investigated. But Wynn didn't disappear from politics. He continued donating to Trump and Republican causes, giving $10 million in the 2024 cycle. His money was still welcome. Then came the foreign lobbying scandal. In 2022, the DOJ charged Wynn with acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government, alleging that he had lobbied Trump in 2017 to return a Chinese billionaire dissident to China at Beijing's request. The charge — violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) — was extraordinary: a major Trump donor and RNC chair allegedly lobbying the president on behalf of a foreign government. Wynn settled the civil suit without admitting guilt but agreed to register as a foreign agent. The combination is staggering: sexual misconduct allegations, foreign lobbying for China, casino interests requiring government approval, and continued access to the highest levels of Republican politics. Wynn's story demonstrates that in the world of mega-donor politics, there is effectively no misconduct severe enough to cut off access — as long as the checks keep clearing.