Sheldon Adelson, the multibillionaire casino magnate, key Republican Party donor and owner of the Israeli daily Yisrael Hayom , found himself in a Las Vegas court over the last four days defending his casino empire from allegations of bribery and ties to organized crime in China. By the time the hearing was over, Adelson had argued with the judge, contradicted the evidence of his own executives and frustrated his lawyers by revealing more information than he was required to in response to simple yes or no questions.