Federal Investigation Targets Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon

The Wall Street Journal reported that prosecutors in New York are speaking to women who have accused former WWE chairman Vince McMahon of sexual misconduct. The investigation began in 2022, following reports that McMahon paid hush money to his accusers while he was CEO. McMahon stepped down from WWE in July 2022 after the scandal came to light. McMahon resigned from his roles within WWE and its parent company TKO Holdings after former employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking. He has denied the allegations, while the company has not addressed them. The Wall Street Journal also reported that prosecutors were investigating the payouts, and a grand jury subpoena sought communication between McMahon and the women who levied the allegations, including Grant. McMahon has denied Rita Chatterton’s rape claim, but has not addressed the other allegations. Grant’s suit claims that McMahon pressured or forced Grant to have a sexual relationship with John Laurinitis, and that McMahon and Laurinitis allegedly sexually assaulted Grant in the WWE office during work hours. Prosecutors are also investigating allegations against a WWE contractor who said McMahon sent unsolicited nude photos and sexually harassed her, a former WWE wrestler who said McMahon coerced her into giving him oral sex, and a spa manager who said McMahon assaulted her at a Southern California resort. McMahon has denied these allegations as well.