Nevada Court Dismisses Steve Wynn’s Defamation Lawsuit against the AP

A high court in Nevada ended a defamation lawsuit filed against media outlet the Associated Press (AP) by the former Wynn Resorts CEO and casino mogul, Steve Wynn. The latest decision of the Nevada Supreme Court reaffirmed a lower court ruling, effectively ending Wynn’s defamation lawsuit against the AP.

Back in 2018, the media outlet released a story about two women who alleged sexual misconduct. They alleged they were victims of Wynn’s sexual misconduct with one of them claiming that she was raped by the casino mogul back in the 1970s.

The story was based on documents obtained through a public records request, but the names of the women were not disclosed. Still, one of the alleged victims, Halina Kuta, agreed to be identified by her name and claimed that she was sexually assaulted by Wynn in Chicago back in 1973 or 1974.

After the release of the report, the casino mogul filed a defamation lawsuit, naming the AP, Kuta and one reporter as defendants. In the legal claim, Wynn, who is currently 82 years old, alleged that his name was defamed by the media outlet’s story about sexual misconduct.

Earlier this year, a three-judge panel in Nevada pointed to the state’s strong anti-SLAPP law. This law effectively seeks to protect free speech and the efforts to silence or intimidate critics with lawsuits. As announced by the AP, the ruling in February recognized that the anti-SLAPP statutes “were designed to limit precisely the type of claim at issue here, which involves a news organization publishing an article in a good faith effort to inform their readers regarding an issue of clear public interest.”

Sexual Misconduct Allegations Result in Fines and Settlements

After allegations of sexual misconduct in 2018, Wynn resigned from his role as CEO at Wynn Resorts. The allegations of sexual misconduct in Nevada resulted in a $10 million fine against the casino mogul last year. Although he agreed to pay the fine, he did not admit any wrongdoing.

Besides the casino mogul, Wynn Resorts was also subject to scrutiny in light of the sexual misconduct allegations. As a result, the company was hit with a historic $20 million fine from the Nevada Gaming Commission.