Donald Trump has turned to Las Vegas gaming honchos Steve Wynn, Phil Ruffin and Sheldon Adelson to help lead planning for the events and activities surrounding the Republican president-elect’s inauguration.
The three, together with Adelson’s wife, Miriam Adelson, have been named “finance vice chairs” of the 20-person Presidential Inaugural Committee, according to a statement issued by the Trump campaign.
Wynn, a vigorous Republican supporter, is chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts and Wynn Resorts subsidiary Wynn Macau; Ruffin owns the Treasure Island resort casino in Las Vegas and co-owns Trump International in Las Vegas; and Republican mega-donor Adelson is chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands and majority held subsidiary Sands China.
Gail Icahn, wife of corporate raider Carl Icahn, who controls casino operator Tropicana Entertainment, also has been named to the committee.
Trump, who at various times ran several casinos in Atlantic City and elsewhere, both privately and through a public company, will be sworn in as the 45th president on January 20.
Billionaire Tom Barrack, executive chairman of private equity giant Colony Capital and a former owner of Hilton casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, is chairing the panel. Barrick was deputy secretary of the Interior Department in the Reagan administration and has served as an economic and national security adviser to Trump.
Other members include New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, Wisconsin billionaire Diane Hendricks and Dallas-based investor Ray Washburne.
The appointments are somewhat ceremonial and will involve fund-raising to pay for the events, said Ruffin, speaking in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which is owned by the Adelson family.
The panel was scheduled to hold its first meeting last week.
