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> 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> LAS VEGAS – Casino mogul Steve Wynn has resigned as chairman and CEO at Wynn Resorts amid sexual misconduct allegations.

Wynn Resorts says Tuesday the resignation is effective immediately.

The Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 26 that a number of women said Wynn harassed or assaulted them and that one case led to a $7.5 million settlement.

The Las Vegas billionaire has vehemently denied the allegations, which he attributes to a campaign led by his ex-wife.

He also faces investigations by gambling regulators in two states.

READ MORE: Steve Wynn, casino mogul and Republican donor, denies dozens of sexual misconduct claims: report

The board of directors for Wynn Resorts has appointed Matt Maddox, currently president of the company, as its CEO effective immediately. </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. </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> 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> US mogul Steve Wynn has resigned from his casino company Wynn Resorts, as the billionaire battles claims that he routinely subjected women who worked for him to unwanted sexual advances.

Wynn has denied the accusations published by the Wall Street Journal as “preposterous” and said they were instigated by his ex-wife to seek advantage in their divorce lawsuit.

He resigned as the finance chairman of the U.S. Republican Party’s fundraising arm, the Republican National Committee, in January.

“In the last couple of weeks, I have found myself the focus of an avalanche of negative publicity…I have reached the conclusion I cannot continue to be effective in my current roles,” Wynn said in a statement.

The company said it has appointed Matt Maddox, its president since 2013, as CEO and Boone Wayson as non-executive chairman effective immediately.

Maddox has also been a non-executive director of Wynn Macau Ltd, a majority owned subsidiary of the Las Vegas-based company. Until 2014, Maddox was also its chief financial officer, according to the company website.

Trade in shares in Wynn Macau were halted on Wednesday morning.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App </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.
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.