Federal Authorities Investigating Vince McMahon Allegations

Sex trafficking and sexual assault allegations against Vince McMahon are being investigated by federal authorities in the United States, people familiar with the investigation have told the Wall Street Journal. 

Federal prosecutors in New York have been in contact with women who have accused McMahon of sexual misconduct. This comes after federal agents executed a search warrant for McMahon's phone and delivered a grand jury subpoena to him in the Summer of 2023 for documents related to any allegations of "rape, sex trafficking, sexual assault, commercial sex transaction, harassment, or discrimination." 

McMahon has been under investigation by federal prosecutors and the SEC since the Summer of 2022 in relation to hush money payments of at least $14.6 million he allegedly made to several women between 2006 and 2022 to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity. There was also $5 million in payments to the Donald Trump Foundation over Trump's appearances on WWE TV in 2007 and 2009 that the United States Government was looking into. 

The subpoena, according to WSJ, has sought communications between Vince McMahon and the women, including Janel Grant who filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon on January 25 accusing him of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and physical and emotional abuse. The lawsuit led to McMahon's resignation as TKO Executive Chairman when sponsors began to pull out of working with WWE. 

The grand jury subpoena mentioned Grant and several other women that McMahon signed agreements with in relation to allegations of sexual misconduct. Some of the women have been interviewed by federal prosecutors. Beyond Grant, other women named in the subpoena were a WWE contractor who McMahon allegedly sexually harassed and sent unsolicited nudes to, a former WWE wrestler who McMahon coerced into giving him oral sex, former WWE referee Rita Chatterton who accused McMahon of raping her in 1986, a spa manager who claimed McMahon sexually assaulted her, and a former WWE employee who accused John Laurinaitis of demoting her after she broke off an affair with him. 

Rita Chatterton agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement with Vince McMahon in December 2022. 

Vince McMahon in his resignation statement wrote: "Ms. Grant's lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth. I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name."