Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday the Republican National Committee should return recent donations from Steve Wynn, the casino mogul who resigned as the RNC’s finance chairman amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Spicer, who served as the RNC’s communications director from 2011 to 2017 before joining President Donald Trump's White House, said that while it would be impractical to reverse all contributions from Wynn over the years, the RNC ought to at least return “any money that happens this cycle.”


“I think the right thing to do for the Republican Party is to have the higher moral ground and say, ‘We’ll return the money,’” Spicer said during an appearance on MSNBC.

Republicans including Spicer had blasted the Democratic National Committee and Democratic officials for their financial ties to movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who faces numerous allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

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The Las Vegas magnate resigned last week as the RNC’s finance chief after the Wall Street Journal reported allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Trump, who has also owned casino properties, tapped Wynn to oversee the Republican Party’s fundraising arm after clinching the 2016 presidential election.


Wynn has denied the allegations but acknowledged the “distraction” caused by the scandal in a statement over the weekend.

"Effective today I am resigning as Finance Chairman of the RNC," he said. "The unbelievable success we have achieved must continue. The work we are doing to make America a better place is too important to be impaired by this distraction. I thank the President for the opportunity to serve and wish him continued success."

Spicer on Monday also said “due process” was needed in the face of claims of sexual misconduct.

“I don't know Steve Wynn at all, but I know he has publicly denied these allegations,” Spicer said. “There is an element of due process that everyone is entitled to."


He added: “That being said, I think that we need to have a standard that says if a credible allegation comes, we need to take it absolutely serious.”

