WWE Under Official Investigation By the Department of Justice
Things have taken another turn for the worse for WWE and its former CEO Vince McMahon: the Department of Justice has officially begun an investigation into the disgraced former head of the association most closely associated with pro wrestling.
As many will soon know, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York made public its involvement in the proceeding through a sealed court filing. This will lend enormous federal and media attention to the allegations against McMahon by former WWE staffer Janel Grant.
The DOJ Is Investigating Vince McMahon And His Former Company
The former employee filed her claims on January 25, 2024; the horrific charges behind the WWE investigation include accusing the organization’s previous and best-known CEO of violent rape and abuse from 2019 to 2022. Grant also alleges that McMahon trafficked her, transporting her across state lines in order to sexually gratify other WWE executives, as well as wrestlers, all under the auspices of professional duties.
WWE And TKO Group Keep Trying To Distance Themselves
Unsurprisingly, the allegations had inspired a major legal and media storm around McMahon; truly explosive, the accusations led to WWE and the embattled former exec cutting ties. The name-brand wrestling body’s parent company, TKO Group, also distanced itself from McMahon.
However, though he formally stepped down, McMahon continued to weather scrutiny while his legal team routinely denied all allegations, characterizing Grant’s allegations as lies, the vengeful falsities of a resentful ex.
The Problem Goes Beyond One Man
The federal move to formally investigate surpasses pursuing McMahon alone, as it also applies to WWE’s practices, equally subject to the investigation. The first stage of the ongoing investigation proceeded several months after the horror of the allegations was unveiled to the public. What should follow is a deep, unflinching look into the implied systemic problems plaguing the organization.
Many will know that the WWE settled an internal investigation in the past, one also pertaining to McMahon. In the settlement, the former CEO provided undisclosed payments to various women.
The Feds Have Asked Civil Cases To Pause
Ann Callis, Grant’s attorney, confirmed that she and her client have agreed to pause their ongoing civil case, as per the request of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Grant’s rep stated that both are eager to cooperate with the federal investigation. The pause initiated by the Fed should span several months, during which the DOJ will probably pursue and unveil further unpublished activities within the wrestling organization.
The lawsuit also treated a previous $3 million settlement reached between McMahon and Grant in 2022, which aimed to keep the allegations confidential. However, to hear Grant’s side of the story, McMahon has only paid a third of the agreed sum, which voids the confidentiality and continues the investigation into WWE.
It’s Going To Get Worse For Vince McMahon
Additionally and obviously, the DOJ’s entry into the case frames everything in much starker, harsher light while also laying McMahon’s financial dealings bare.
One of those dealings was his enormous sale of stock in TKO, which was part of the humongous merger between WWE and UFK when they united to form the TKO banner—a $21.4 billion deal in September 2023.
Ultimately, the more the Department of Justice digs into MacMahon and WWE as part of their investigation, the more the wrestling community—and the world—will reflect on the dark and severe allegations. Along with how the former CEO’s fall from an exec of a major sports brand to a central figure in a criminal investigation functions as a stark reminder that, amidst grave allegations and legal challenges, fortunes can change quickly.
