Adelson generous in his political contributions to Republicans

Anti-online gambling casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson is well known for the political clout he wields, courtesy of big money donations to politicians and especially the Republican Party.

This week the New York Times reported on recent mandatory filings with the Federal Election Commission showing the extent of the casino multi-billionaire’s generosity, triggering speculation that his recently reintroduced Restoration of America’s Wire Act – an anti-online gambling measure reportedly drafted by his lobbyists – may receive favourable Republican reconsideration.

The New York Times reported that President Trump’s inauguration events raised a record $107 million in donations mainly from wealthy American businessmen, with Adelson the most generous on $5 million.

That was in addition to the just over $11 million Adelson and family donated to the Trump cause during the elections, and the more than $20 million the family gave to the Republican Senate Leadership Fund last year just prior to the reintroduction of RAWA (see previous reports).

Speculation and rumours rife in online media over the last two weeks suggest that Trump’s new Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, may be about to review the 2011 Justice Department legal opinion that the archaic Wire Act applies only to sports betting, and inevitably the latest donation disclosures have been associated with that possibility.

However, given the clear reluctance of many US Congress politicians to become embroiled in RAWA for fear of stepping on states’ rights, Session will himself have to tread very carefully on this sensitive issue.

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