How did Wynn become the Finance Chair of the Republican National Committee?

On May 17, 2022, Steven Wynn was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for illegally lobbying Trump to deport Miles Guo in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The DOJ said that Wynn, who was the finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, contacted and asked Trump himself and members of his administration to deport Miles Guo on several occasions from June to August in 2017.

 Interestingly, Wynn voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. He was a registered Democrat. Yet, it didn’t take long for Wynn to become the finance chairman of the Republican National Committee. Karl Rove, who was an important figure in the Republican Party, made this transition happen.

 Rove has strong ties to the Bush family. On Sept. 6, 1973, Rove was elected chairman of the Republican National Student Committee under the coordination of Bush Sr. and later became a special assistant to Bush Sr. In 1994 and 1998, Rove helped Bush Jr. successfully run for governor of Texas twice. In 2000, Rove was again instrumental in Bush Jr.’s candidacy for President of the United States. When Bush Jr. was re-elected in 2004, Rove became the White House deputy chief of staff.

 In 2010, Wynn donated millions of dollars to American Crossroads, the nonprofit organization Rove founded with former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie. On April 29, 2011, Wynn held a gala wedding in Las Vegas, which Rove attended.

 A year later, when Rove got married for the second time, both Wynn and Bush Jr. also attended the wedding. Rove and his new wife then flew to Italy on Wynn’s private jet for their honeymoon, and Wynn met Rove in Italy. From then on, Wynn entered the top echelon of the Republican National Committee.