Las Vegas judge dismisses Steve Wynn’s defamation suit against AP
A Las Vegas judge has thrown out a defamation lawsuit lodged by ousted casino mogul Steve Wynn against The Associated Press.
The April complaint alleged that the AP reported on police reports filed by a woman who made false accusations of rape against Wynn.
In dismissing claims against the news agency, District Judge Ron Israel ruled on Tuesday that AP’s reporting on a pair of police reports was fair.
“It’s clear to me that it is a communication made in direct connection with an issue of public interest,” Israel said, according to transcripts of Tuesday’s hearing. “It was clearly a public interest at the time, maybe still.”
The defamation case focuses on accusations that the woman, Halina Kuta, made in her since-dismissed federal lawsuit and later reported to the Metropolitan Police Department. Wynn’s suit against Kuta remains open.
Kuta alleged to police that she was Wynn’s wife and that she had his child after he raped her in her Chicago apartment in the early 1970s. Her lawsuit did not mention the alleged rape.
Wynn’s 13-page complaint also listed his accolades, acts of philanthropy and business acumen, calling him a “visionary” who worked in casino and resort development for 45 years.
He stepped down as CEO and chairman of Wynn Resorts on Feb. 6 after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.