Las Vegas – Nevada’s Supreme Court dismissed a bid by Sheldon Adelson to sue Jewish Democrats who hyperlinked to an article alleging the casino magnate allowed prostitutes to work his casino in Macau.
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The hyperlink, in a National Jewish Democratic Council online petition during the 2012 presidential election, was to an Associated Press article covering a lawsuit by a former employee of Adelson who alleged that he was terminated for, among other reasons, refusing to allow prostitutes to ply their trade at the casino.
Also named in the suit were the NJDC chairman at the time, Marc Stanley, and its president, David Harris. The petition called on then-Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney to renounce Adelson’s support.
In its decision Wednesday, the court agreed with other rulings dismissing the case, saying the hyperlink functioned as a footnote, correctly attributing the report to a reported source and absolving the NJDC of making the claim without evidence.
“The fair report privilege immunizes the petition drafters from civil liability,” the court said.
The Nevada Supreme Court was the third judicial venue where Adelson sought redress for the NJDC petition. A spokesman for Adelson declined to comment on the decision.
Adelson vehemently denied the allegations by his former employee, Steven Jacobs, who was CEO of the Macau casino in 2009-10. However, he settled with Jacobs last year, with his company reportedly paying the ex-staffer $75 million.
Adelson is seen as a kingmaker in Republican politics. His contributions to Donald Trump’s successful presidential effort and his underwriting of the presidential inauguration earned him a seat on the dais there — unprecedented for a donor.