Figure in Review-Journal Sale Becomes an Issue in Las Vegas Sands Lawsuit
January 13, 2016
A disgraced Connecticut newspaper owner associated with casino mogul Sheldon Adelson’s recent purchase of the Review-Journal has emerged as a figure in a long-running lawsuit that involves allegations that Adelson tolerated organized crime ties at his properties in Macau.
In a deposition Monday, Adelson’s son-in-law, Patrick Dumont, refused to answer any questions about contact with Michael Schroeder, owner of Central Connecticut Communications. Dumont, vice president of finance and strategy for Las Vegas Sands Corp., was being questioned by a lawyer representing Steven Jacobs, a former Sands executive in Macau who alleges he was wrongfully terminated for trying to distance Sands from illegal activities in the Chinese gaming city.
Dumont’s lawyer on Monday blocked questions regarding any discussion his client may have had about the case with Schroeder, who in December was briefly named “manager” of the Review-Journal.
Schroeder’s role in the Adelson family’s RJ purchase is significant because one of his Connecticut newspapers published a long article that was critical of Clark County District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez, who is presiding over the Jacobs case. The article bore a false name associated with Schroeder.