Veteran Republican mega-donor Todd Ricketts on Wednesday was confirmed as the Republican National Committee’s new finance chairman, replacing scandal-plagued Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn.
The party moved quickly to replace Wynn. He stepped aside just days ago, after a Wall Street Journal exposé detailed years of sexual misconduct toward female employees of his establishments. Ricketts, with close ties to President Trump and other party bigwigs, was unanimously confirmed for the post in a vote of the RNC executive committee.
“His incredible leadership and proven track record of results will continue to grow support for our Party and ensure we have the resources needed to deliver Republican victories in 2018 and beyond,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.
The Ricketts family, owner of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs, has been generous supporters of Republicans and conservative causes over the years. Joe Ricketts, Todd’s father, founded TD Ameritrade. Pete Ricketts, Todd’s brother, is governor of Nebraska. Todd Ricketts, based in Chicago, remains an active and influential participant across his family’s business and philanthropic interests.
Among his activities as a Republican donor and bundler, Ricketts served as a finance chairman for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s 2016 presidential campaign, and later funded a political nonprofit and affiliated super PAC that invested millions in helping Trump defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Those organizations remained active during Trump’s first year in office, spending millions more to promote the president’s agenda, including the $1.4 trillion tax overhaul he signed into law in late December.
Once it became clear that Wynn would have to step down as RNC finance chairman, which he did on Saturday, speculation quickly focused on Ricketts as possible successor. Republican sources confirmed to the Washington Examiner that he accepted the post on Tuesday. RNC committee members, meeting in Washington, D.C., for the party’s annual winter meeting, are scheduled to formalize Ricketts’ appointment on Friday.
“Todd will be a great addition to the Republican National Committee, and I couldn’t be happier he is lending his tremendous leadership to our Party,” Trump said in a statement.
Ricketts was briefly in line for Trump’s nomination to serve in a senior role in the Commerce Department. He bowed out because of the complexity of extricating himself from his family’s business interests. He also has close relationships with top Republicans on Capitol Hill.
“I look forward to raising the resources to support the president, Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to continue the Republican Party’s successful agenda of reducing taxes on all Americans and creating jobs and opportunity,” Ricketts said in a statement.
The RNC raised more than $132 million in 2017, a record for the committee in a non-election year. The party closed the year with a war chest of nearly $39 million to spend on the midterm elections.
Democrats are pressuring the RNC to return or donate to charity any funds associated with Wynn. So far, the RNC is refusing. The Democratic National Committee continues to struggle financially.
