Adelson distances himself from GOP special caucus decision

Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson distanced himself Monday from a Clark County Republican decision to hold a special presidential caucus after sundown Saturday for observant Jews, saying through a spokesman he and his wife "had no involvement" in the arrangement.

The statement seemed designed to counter concerns by several presidential campaigns that the GOP was giving special consideration to Adelson, who backs presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. Adelson and his wife, Miriam, have donated $10 million to a pro-Gingrich Political Action Committee.

Ron Reese, a spokesman for Adelson, said the billionaire casino mogul never suggested holding the special 7 p.m. caucus and didn't personally offer to host it at the Adelson Education Campus. The private school in Summerlin was named after the couple because they are generous donors.

Adelson and his wife aren't orthodox Jews who must avoid activity during the Sabbath, which starts at sundown on Fridays and continues until sundown on Saturdays. Reese said the couple can participate in the regular caucus meetings, which are scheduled to start at 9 a.m.

"In short, they had no involvement," Reese said. "At no point did either Mr. Adelson or Dr. (Miriam) Adelson provide any input into the process or intervene in any way."

But if Sheldon Adelson did not determine the resolution, he did pass along the Jewish community's concerns to a Republican official.

During a board meeting in December, Philip Kantor, an orthodox member of the Adelson school board, brought up the topic of not being able to participate in the GOP caucus , Reese said. The Adelsons, as board members, also attended the meeting, according to Reese.

In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Kantor said he had asked Adelson to reach out to Republican leaders to raise the caucus concern among the observant Jewish Community.

"I did ask Mr. Adelson if he could make a call to see if he could jog it along a bit," Kantor said Monday. "In any event, he was kind enough to help it along. But it has nothing to do with helping any candidate. It has everything to do with not being deprived of a vote, being disenfranchised."

Adelson called Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian to talk about the orthodox Jewish issue, Reese confirmed. He said Adelson suggested letting observant Jews cast absentee ballots. Tarkanian told Adelson that Republicans must attend the caucus meetings to participate and the rules don't allow for absentee ballots except for members of the military, Reese said.

That was the end of Adelson's involvement, according to Reese and Kantor.

Kantor then had lunch with Dave Gibbs, chairman of the Clark County GOP, and proposed holding a post-sundown caucus for Jews, according to Kantor and Gibbs.

"It was strictly my idea to get the special caucus going based on the fact that I was cheated out of voting four years ago," Kantor said, adding he doesn't know yet whom he will support .

Kantor also suggested using the Adelson school as the site, he and Gibbs said.

"Mr. Adelson never talked to me about it," said Gibbs, who previously said he knew of Adelson's concerns about the Saturday caucus. "I've never even met Mr. Adelson and didn't even know what he looked like until I saw his picture in the paper."

Gibbs brought the proposal to Clark County Republican leaders who earlier this month approved holding the special caucus and accepted the free offer of the Adelson school site. The GOP said the caucus also will accommodate Seventh-day Adventists, who hold Saturdays sacred as well.

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Follow @lmyerslvrj on Twitter.