Former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO and majority shareholder Vince McMahon was recently served with a search warrant and subpoena issued by a federal grand jury. The news was released by WWE as part of a quarterly report to the Security Exchange Commission (SEC). The warrant was apparently served July 17.
It appears at this point the subpoena is related to a past investigation into whether he paid hush money to employees following allegations of sexual misconduct. McMahon retired from the company following that scandal but in recent months returned to WWE to help facilitate a merger with UFC parent company Endeavor.
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Both McMahon and his wife Linda have been longtime friends with Former President Trump. Linda McMahon even was part of his Cabinet as head of the Small Business Administration. Despite their ties, it does not appear that McMahon’s investigation has anything to do with the current Federal Investigations into Donald Trump.
“I have always denied any intentional wrongdoing and continue to do so. I am confident that the government’s investigation will be resolved without any findings of wrongdoing,” McMahon said in a statement to CNBC.
This is not the first time McMahon has deal with legal issues involving the Federal Government. In 2007 following the murder-suicide involving former wrestler Chris Benoit the company was briefly investigated by Congress. McMahon was also famously exonerated during federal investigation into steroid use by his performers in the early 1990′s.
WWE also released that McMahon recently underwent spinal surgery and is recovering.
WWE is currently in flux after the merger with Endeavor was announced this past Spring. McMahon and WWE are expected to retain 49% of the company as minority shareholders.
WWE’s combination with UFC will result in a new publicly listed company called TKO Group Holdings. The deal is still expected to close in the second half of the year.