Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that casino mogul Steve Wynn, the Finance Chairman of the Republican National Committee, had engaged in serial sexual harassment and assault. The report was based on dozens of interviews in which people described how Wynn engaged in a “decades-long pattern of sexual misconduct” including “pressuring employees to perform sex acts.”
For 24 hours, the Republican Party said nothing. The silence was particularly remarkable in light of the GOP’s reaction to reports in October that Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted numerous women. The same day the first report was publish, the Republican Party demanded the Democratic Party and all Democratic officials return money from Weinstein, who was a major donor to Democrats.
On Saturday afternoon, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel released a statement. Here it is, in its entirety:
Today I accepted Steve Wynn’s resignation as Republican National Committee finance chair.
The statement was released to press but does not appear on the GOP website or Twitter account. It was also not posted to Twitter by McDaniel.
It is notable, mostly, for what it does not include.
The GOP’s statement on Wynn does not mention women
The GOP’s statement about Wynn makes no mention about the extremely serious allegations of sexual abuse contained in the Wall Street Journal article. It doesn’t even make an oblique mention to the importance of women to the Republican Party.
Compare that to the statement by McDaniel, posted on the GOP website and distributed through all its social media channels, on Weinstein:
During three-decades worth of sexual harassment allegations, Harvey Weinstein lined the pockets of Democrats to the tune of three quarters of a million dollars. If Democrats and the DNC truly stand up for women like they say they do, then returning this dirty money should be a no brainer.
The allegations against Wynn also stretch decades and his donations to Republicans dwarf Weinstein’s donations to Democrats.
The GOP’s statement does not mention anything about Wynn’s money
Since 2012, Wynn has given $2.5 million to the Republican Governors Association, $411,000 to the National Republican Senate Committee, $248,000 to the Republican National Committee, and $100,000 to the National Republican Campaign Committee.
Wynn also donated $729,217 to Trump’s inauguration. Wynn gave millions more to outside groups supporting Trump and other Republicans.
Just last weekend, Wynn was headlining a fundraiser at Mar-a-lago for Trump. Tickets to the event, which was expected raise millions for Trump, started at $100,000. (“Steve Wynn, I want to thank you,” Trump said in a recorded message played at the event, which he missed due to the government shutdown.)
The GOP demanded Democrats return every cent from Weinstein. A video produced by the GOP chided Democrats to “put your money where your mouth is.”