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The time Sheldon Adelson’s wife dropped her purse on a congressman from the
House gallery - The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2015/03/03/the-time-sheldon-adelsons-wife-dropped-her-purse-on-a-congressman-from-the-house-gallery/

The time Sheldon Adelson’s wife dropped her purse on a congressman from the
House gallery

Casino magnate and major political contributor Sheldon Adelson waits with
his wife Miriam for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a
joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber. Is this the moment of the
purse drop? (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)

Republican mega donor Sheldon Adelson is used to throwing money at
politicians. But purses?

The casino magnate and his wife Miriam were in the House gallery for
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress Tuesday
when her bag fell and almost clocked Rep. Brad Ashford (D-Neb.).

She had slightly better aim than her husband, who was unsuccessful in
knocking out Ashford’s campaign against incumbent Rep. Lee Terry in the
2014 general election. Adelson gave $5 million to the Congressional
Leadership Fund super PAC that spent $35,000 in that race, according to
OpenSecrets.org’s Russ Choma.

Informed after the speech that it was Adelson’s wife’s bag that fell on
him, Ashford joked to Omaha World-Herald’s Joseph Morton, “I wish I’d
opened the purse. Do you think she carries cash?”

We reached out to Ashford’s office, which confirmed that the bag did hit
the congressman on his shoulder and then fell at his feet. He joked to his
spokesman, who we spoke to, that he might never have use of his left arm
again. (Imagine that settlement.)

Ashford had no idea what kind of purse it was, but he described it as
“reptilian of some kind,” his spokesman said.

Gives a whole new meaning to power of the purse.


Eric D. Schwerin
eschwerin@rosemontseneca.com

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