Three Las Vegas residents and non-blood relatives of casino executive Sheldon Adelson who describe themselves as “self-employed” gave a combined $1 million to a “super PAC” backing Republican Newt Gingrich on the same day in December.
Sheldon Adelson reportedly didn’t jump in to offer Winning The Future any help until early 2012, a period not covered by the Federal Election Commission report filed on Tuesday. But Adelson’s wife’s son-in-law provided $250,000 while Adelson’s wife’s daughters — also “self-employed” — tossed in $500,000 and $250,000 a piece. Their sum total accounts for nearly half of the $2,080,250 the group took in during December.
“No comment, thank you, thank you, bye bye,” Oren Lukatz, one of the $250,000 donors, told TPM when reached by phone on Tuesday evening. An online resume describes him as a freelance new media designer who did projects for the Adelson Family Foundation and worked as an assistant to the President of the Venetian Hotel Resort and Casino in 2003 and 2004. He previously worked as a lawyer in Israel and a lieutenant in the Israeli Army from 1987 until 1991 and his interests include design, travel, surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding.
Yasmin Lukatz, who also gave $250,000, is the daughter of Adelson’s wife Miriam and works as a casino executive with Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corporation. An obituary identifies Oren as Yasmin’s husband.
Miriam’s other daughter Sivan studied astrophysics and business administration in the U.S., according to Haaretz.com and according to the Jewish Daily Forward “identifies alternately as a homemaker and a senior analyst for Las Vegas Sands.”
Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam reportedly provided a combined $10 million to Winning Our Future in January, but that number wouldn’t have to be disclosed for another month.
Winning Our Future also reported $500,000 donations from both W.S. Propst, a Alabama real estate investor, and Harold Simmons, the chairman and CEO of the Contran Corporation, which provide the vast bulk of the rest of the group’s 2011 funding. A total of just 18 donors provided the $2,080,250 final sum.
Additional reporting by Clayton Ashley.
Ryan J. Reilly
Ryan J. Reilly is a D.C.-based reporter for TPM. Prior to joining TPM, he worked for a news website covering the Justice Department and was a researcher for Bloomberg News. His email address is ryan(at)talkingpointsmemo.com.
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