Casino Mogul, Gingrich May Keep Distance During Nevada Campaign

(The Wall Street Journal) - Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson has helped keep Newt Gingrich in the Republican presidential race with at least $11 million of donations to a group backing the candidate.

But don't expect to see the men getting too chummy in public before Saturday's caucuses in Adelson's home state of Nevada.

Though Adelson has embraced Gingrich in part because of his stance on Israel, recent events -- including a kerfuffle over a special caucus at a school attended mostly by Jewish children that bears Adelson's name -- have the men trying to minimize their connection publicly, said people familiar with the matter.

The casino magnate also has become concerned that he is overshadowing Gingrich's campaign, according to people close to Adelson.

"He [Adelson] realizes that when you make a contribution it does become an issue and he wants the focus to remain on Newt," said Andy Abboud, vice president of government relations at Las Vegas Sands Corp., an Adelson company.

The two men will maintain a distance in Nevada this week, he said, but their paths might cross at some point. Gingrich is staying at Adelson's Venetian casino, said Dan Burdish, who is working for Gingrich in Nevada.

People working for Gingrich in Nevada said they struggled with how much distance to put between the men when assembling Gingrich's schedule. Part of the reason is that, by law, the super PAC group funded by Adelson isn't allowed to coordinate its activities with Gingrich's campaign.

So far, Adelson's financial support, which has catapulted the Las Vegas billionaire into the national spotlight, buoyed Gingrich's win in South Carolina but failed to prevent his trouncing by Mitt Romney on Tuesday in Florida.

In Nevada, Gingrich faces an uphill battle. Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul set up their Nevada organizations months ago. Romney, who won the state caucuses in 2008, has the support of eight of the 10 Republican state senators. Gingrich's followers and his super PAC just started organizing in Las Vegas and Reno in the past few weeks.

People close to Adelson said his political funding this year is focused on trying to defeat President Barack Obama, a quest that could open an opportunity for Romney if Gingrich drops out.

In the past five years, Adelson, his wife and his companies have donated at least $2.5 million to Nevada Republican causes, according to public records, including several hundred thousand dollars to the state's Republican Party. The main fundraising event for the county's Republican party is held yearly in a ballroom at the Venetian casino, owned by Las Vegas Sands.

Adelson's close association with the state GOP sparked concern among other candidates after a special caucus was added to accommodate observant Jews who can't participate before sunset Saturday, when their Sabbath ends. The caucus will be held at a school named for Adelson and his wife, which offered its facilities gratis.

Staffers for Romney and Paul complained the local GOP's decision to hold the extra caucus was orchestrated by Adelson and could favor Gingrich. "Obviously [Adelson] is a Newt Gingrich supporter, and I find it ironic it's at his location," said Carl Bunce, Paul's Nevada campaign chairman. "I have a supporter who's a single mother who has to work in a casino and she doesn't have ability to caucus. You're breaking the rules and then there's no equity."

On Monday, a representative for Las Vegas Sands said Adelson and his wife had "no involvement" in the decision.

Read more: The Wall Street Journal