Steve Wynn's Supreme Court Case Could Greatly Alter Free Press

Billionaire Steve Wynn, a Utica native whose name graces Utica's newly opened hospital, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his appeal which could have an enormous impact on First Amendment protections for free speech and free press. The question at hand is a landmark 1964 decision - The New York Times vs. Sullivan - that gave stringent First Amendment libel and defamation protections for journalists.

Wynn is appealing a decision by Nevada's top court which dismissed a defamation lawsuit against the Associated Press and one of its journalists regarding a 2018 news report referencing accusations against Wynn from back in the 1970s alleging sexual assault. Wynn denies the sexual assault allegations.

The Supreme Court has heard other cases challenging the 1964 decision, including when the court denied to hear a case in 2021. The decision drew dissents from conservative Justices Clarance Thomas and Neil Gorsuch. President Trump has also criticized U.S. defamation laws which set the standards high and make it very difficult for public figures to sue for defamation.

Wynn, born Stephen Alan Weinberg on January 27, 1942, in New Haven, Connecticut, spent his formative years in Utica, where his father, Michael, owned a chain of bingo parlors. After high school and his father's death, he took over the family’s bingo operations, which laid the foundation for his future endeavors in the gaming and hospitality sectors, including the development of iconic Las Vegas resorts such as The Mirage, Bellagio, and Wynn Las Vegas, significantly transforming the Vegas landscape.

Recently, Wynn has reconnected with his roots in Utica and now owns a home in the area. He's been involved in philanthropic efforts benefiting the local community including large donations which led to the construction of a new hospital in downtown Utica which bearrs his name.