Sheldon Adelson, the casino mogul who along with his wife has given $10 million to Newt Gingrich’s GOP presidential bid, is under criminal investigation for alleged bribery of foreign officials in Macau, according to a report by ABC News.
The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission have been probing Adelson’s dealings in a casino territory in China. The investigation was believed to have been prompted by a separate civil lawsuit by a former executive.
ABC News reported that in that suit, the executive alleges: Adelson ordered him to keep quiet about sensitive issues at the Sands casinos on the Chinese island of Macau, including the casinos’ alleged “involvement with Chinese organized crime groups, known as Triads, connected to the junket business.” The triads — Chinese organized crime syndicates — are allegedly involved in organizing high stakes gambling junkets for wealthy Chinese travelers.
Adelson denies the allegations. But if true, the allegations offer some insights into how a major Las Vegas casino owner operates and into the type of characters Gingrich hangs around. Read previous posts on Adelson and Gingrich here and here.
