Sheldon Adelson Cuts $30 Million Check to House Republicans, Received $670 Million in Tax Breaks from GOP Bill

Politics Features Sheldon Adelson
Sheldon Adelson Cuts $30 Million Check to House Republicans, Received $670 Million in Tax Breaks from GOP Bill

Boy, money in politics sure is bad. Our latest example comes from Sheldon Adelson, extremely rich human, virulent pro-Israel activist, and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation (read: casino mogul). At last check, Forbes had him as the 19th-richest man in the world.

Because he loves tax breaks and Israel, Adelson is a natural fit for the Republican party, and he spends and spends and spends. Like many true believers, he’s also terrified of a Democratic takeover in the midterm elections. Because of that, he just cut a $30 million check to Paul Ryan and the House GOP in a last-ditch attempt to stem the momentum of the blue wave. Ryan even paid him an in-person visit to kiss the ring and beg his case:

The long-sought donation was sealed last week when, according to two senior Republicans, House Speaker Paul Ryan flew to Las Vegas to meet with the billionaire at his Venetian Hotel. Also at the meeting with Adelson was his wife, Miriam; Norm Coleman, the former Minnesota senator who chairs the Republican Jewish Coalition; Corry Bliss, who oversees the super PAC; and Jake Kastan, Ryan’s No. 2 political aide. They laid out a case to Adelson about how crucial it is to protect the House.

But check this part—Ryan isn’t actually allowed to directly solicit seven-figure donations, so he couldn’t directly ask Adelson for the money. As the New York Times’ Shane Goldmacher noted, this is patently absurd:

Good thing we have rules, right? I would hate for a system that allowed for direct solicitation between our most corrupt political figure and a casino boss without the former having to step into a hallway for a second.

Of course, Adelson has quite the financial incentive to bankroll the GOP. Bloomberg‘s Steve Dennis even put a number on the incentive, all of which came Adelson’s way as a result of the GOP tax bill:

That’s $670 million in THE FIRST QUARTER. He’s going to be netting two billion from these crooks in one year at this pace. I mean, if anything the GOP is getting the short end of this stick. Shouldn’t they be charging him more?

People are mad, including Bernie Sanders…

…but as of now, this is a reality in American political life. Money is king, and at least to the GOP, nothing else matters. And just for an extra bit of trivia, Adelson’s donation is a drop in the bucket compared to what the Koch brothers are going to spend.

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