Another big GOP campaign donor: Steve Wynn

By Tarini Parti, Politico

Monday, Aug. 27, 2012 | 1:44 p.m.

A Las Vegas casino mogul is increasing his clout in the conservative political realm one check at a time and it’s not Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson.

Wynn Resorts Limited, owned by billionaire Steve Wynn, gave $475,000 to the Republican State Leadership Committee in July, according to the committee’s most recent IRS report. The nonprofit focuses on electing Republican candidates to state legislatures and other down-ballot offices.

It’s the latest big donation from Wynn, who as Politico reported last month, has contributed millions to Karl Rove’s nonprofit Crossroads GPS.

Wynn has spent $90,000 supporting the campaigns of Republican candidates and party committees so far this election cycle, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Of that total, $30,800 went to the Republican National Committee, another $30,800 went to the National Republican Congressional Committee, and thousands went to the campaign coffers of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and lawmakers including House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Nevada Sens. Dean Heller and Joe Heck Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei and Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich.

Wynn Resorts has also given $350,000 to the Republican Governors Association during the 2012 election cycle, according to data from CQ Moneyline.

Wynn claims he voted for Barack Obama in 2008, and that year was generous to Democratic candidates. He gave $3,500 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Democrats such as Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada and then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. Wynn has not contributed to Democratic candidates and party committees this cycle.

Adelson, meanwhile, has become one of the Republican Party’s most important donors. He and his family have given more than $30 million to Republican super PACs and other political organizations that have been active in both the presidential race and Heller’s campaign against Berkley.