The billionaire casino executive who is one of the chief donors to Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign is signaling to Mitt Romney that he will provide even more generous support to his candidacy if he becomes the Republican nominee, according to several reports.
Sheldon Adelson, whose politics are shaped in large part by his support for Israel, has a deep-set interest in defeating President Obama, associates told
The New York Times. He is willing to play a more prominent role in the Republican Party and conservative causes.
The news is the result of a “highly delicate campaign” by Romney and his top Jewish financial supporters to dissuade Adelson from adding to the $10 million that he and his wife have given to a pro-Gingrich “super PAC,” Winning Our Future, that has been tearing into Mr. Romney through television advertising.
But Adelson is most likely to continue to help the group as long as Gingrich remained in the race. His affection for and loyalty to Gingrich, who met with him here on Friday, have not blinded him to the reality that the nominating contest is tilting in Romney’s favor.
“Sheldon is committed to keeping him in the race as long as he wants to stay in,” said Fred Zeidman, a top fund-raiser for Mr. Romney and a longtime friend of Adelson told The Times. “But any time that Newt decides to get out of the race, he would devote his energy and money to the overriding issue, which is beating Barack Obama.”
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