DCCC issues retraction for Sheldon Adelson comments

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) late Thursday issued a public retraction and apology for comments made about billionaire Republican donor Sheldon Adelson.

From the DCCC email:

In press statements issued on June 29 and July 2, 2012, the DCCC made unsubstantiated allegations that attacked Sheldon Adelson, a supporter of the opposing party. This was wrong. The statements were untrue and unfair and we retract them. The DCCC extends its sincere apology to Mr. Adelson and his family for any injury we have caused.

The DCCC confirmed last month that the casino magnate threatened to sue the committee for statements "falsely accusing Mr. Adelson of encouraging and profiting from prostitution" after the committee ran with an Associated Press report that Adelson condoned and was aware of prostitution connected to the Las Vegas Sands Corp. in Macau.

"What will Speaker [John] Boehner, Leader [Eric] Cantor and House Republicans do with their Chinese prostitution money?" the DCCC had posed on its website.

Adelson famously kept Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign afloat this past primary season and has since turned his attention to Mitt Romney and other Republican organizations. In June, Adelson was responsible for just under half the donations to the pro-Romney Restore Our Future super PAC. Adelson has said he intends to spend $100 million on the 2012 election.