The former Las Vegas casino executive wants the high court to revisit a 1964 decision set the American standard for libel law and press protections.
Former Las Vegas casino executive Steve Wynn has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider a historic 1964 decision that has set the American standard for libel law — and been a bedrock of free press protections — for the past 60 years.
Wynn is seeking the review of New York Times vs. Sullivan in connection with his defamation lawsuit against The Associated Press and reporter Regina Garcia Cano in 2018. In the lawsuit, he said AP published false statements with “actual malice” about accusations that he engaged in sexual misconduct with women.
In February 2018, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department held a news conference revealing that two women filed complaints against Wynn — one in Las Vegas, the other in Chicago — decades apart.
AP reporter Cano requested copies of the citizens’ complaints from police under the Nevada Public Records Act, and her story based on the police reports appeared in newspapers and websites across the country, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Wynn has denied all sexual misconduct allegations made against him.
“Any decision to scale back or unwind the New York Times v. Sullivan decision would be a massive blow to press freedoms and the media’s ability to report on public figures,” Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook said of Wynn’s petition.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
