LAS VEGAS – The ownership mystery surrounding the sale of the Las Vegas Review-Journal has captured the attention of the media industry as the newspaper’s staff and some politicians demand to know the identity of the new boss.

The timing of the deal and the purchase price have Twitter buzzing and rumors flying that a wealthy GOP donor bought the largest newspaper in a swing state to influence the presidential election. Even a White House hopeful has weighed in on the matter.

The recently incorporated News + Media Capital Group LLC announced last week that it bought the Las Vegas Review-Journal and some affiliated publications for $140 million. That’s a markup of about 37 percent from the paper’s last sale earlier this year, when the similarly named New Media Investment Group bought it.

Newspaper officials have not identified those behind the new company. Publisher Jason Taylor didn’t return calls for comment Tuesday, but he has previously said he can’t identify the group’s backers, who approached the paper months ago.

He said he doesn’t expect them to be involved in news or editorial decisions because Gatehouse Media LLC, a subsidiary of the previous owner, will keep running the publication with a Sunday circulation of 184,000.

The secrecy has generated criticism.

Education reporter Neal Morton took to Twitter to note that quotes that appeared in some versions of the paper’s story about the sale later disappeared online. That included one in which News + Media’s manager, Michael Schroeder, implored staff to focus on their jobs and not worry about the new owners.

Schroeder offered no comment in an email Tuesday. Morton and other staffers who expressed frustration on social media and demanded to know the identity of the buyer have declined to comment to The Associated Press.