Wynn Lawyers Report Woman to FBI for Extortion Over Sexual Misconduct Claims

Posted on: March 20, 2018, 09:50h. 

Last updated on: March 20, 2018, 10:04h.

Casino.org Staff Writer Read More

Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

A lawyer for Steve Wynn reported a woman to the FBI, accusing her of extortion for threatening to go public with sexual misconduct claims about the casino mogul, according to documents recently filed in a Nevada courtroom.

The documents reveal the woman accepted an unknown amount of supposed hush money from Wynn in 2006, but she resurfaced in the wake of a Wall Street Journal article, published late January, that alleged Wynn had engaged in a “decades-long pattern of sexual misconduct” against casino employees.

The WSJ piece also revealed Wynn had set up a shell company called Entity Y to hide a $7.5 million payment made to a Wynn Las Vegas manicurist who had accused him of sexual assault in 2005.

Two Settlement Claims

This is not the same woman who has been accused of extortion. The second woman came forward on Jan. 27, just hours after the article had been published online. She contacted via email Barry Slotnik, a lawyer who had represented Wynn in his settlement with her.

“I understand that my non-disclosure agreement forbids this, but I believe there is much good that can be gained from telling my story,” she wrote, according to the court filing.

On Jan. 31, having received no response to her original email, she wrote:

“At this point in time, I feel compelled to go public with the details of my settlement regarding the sexual misconduct by Steve Wynn and feel it is my duty to share the sordid details. Consider your client put on notice as to my intentions.”

No Demand for Money

Slotnik passed the emails onto Wynn’s Las Vegas attorney, Don Campbell, who reported her to the FBI for “advancing extortionate demands upon Mr. Wynn through Mr. Slotnick,” according to the filings.

The woman’s lawyer, Lisa Bloom, contacted WSJ after a request for comment.

“My client, who wishes to remain anonymous at this time, has never committed any act of extortion,” Bloom wrote. “To the contrary, she simply stated that she wanted to speak. Her emails did not seek any money. And that is surely why the FBI has not even questioned her about this, nor has she been charged with any crime.”

Bloom continued: “This has been a very painful experience for her. It is time to end the era of silencing women and the bullying tactics of going after them when they want to tell their stories.”

The new documents were filed as part of the ongoing case between Wynn and his ex-wife, Elaine, a co-founder of Wynn Resorts, who is battling to regain control of shares in the company.