Vince McMahon’s Criminal Probe Dropped Amid Misconduct Allegations

NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2025 — Federal prosecutors in Manhattan announced the closure of a criminal probe involving Vince McMahon, the former chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, concerning allegations of sexual misconduct and cover-ups. The investigation has been abandoned without any charges, according to McMahon’s attorney, Robert W. Allen.

The announcement comes after months of scrutiny regarding payments totaling $10.5 million made by McMahon to two former employees who accused him of sexual misconduct. Although an appeals court previously indicated there were grounds for belief that McMahon had engaged in criminal activity to hide these settlements, prosecutors opted to drop the case.

“This is simply the result of an appeal of a procedural matter that was argued five months ago,” Allen told the New York Post. “We have been in consistent communication with the government since that time and understand, with no ambiguity, that the investigation has definitively concluded and will not result in charges.”

Previously, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni ruled in June 2024 that there was probable cause to believe that McMahon and a former attorney had violated laws by circumventing internal accounting controls and misleading company auditors. The judge’s ruling outlined a conspiracy to conceal allegations of misconduct against the two former company employees.

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals had examined the evidence and noted McMahon’s former lawyer directed him to discuss settlement negotiations via text message rather than email to keep the company unaware of the payments. Judge Gerard Lynch articulated that these actions provided “a sufficient basis for a prudent person to believe” that McMahon was intentionally concealing the agreements.

Despite the district court ruling pointing to probable misconduct, the federal prosecutors ultimately decided not to pursue the case. This decision was communicated sometime between September 18, 2024, and January 10, 2025, when McMahon settled civil charges with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) related to failure to disclose the settlements in WWE’s financial statements.

McMahon released a statement following the announcement of the SEC deal, downplaying the severity of the accusations. “In the end, there was never anything more to this than minor accounting errors with regard to some personal payments that I made several years ago while I was CEO of WWE,” he remarked. “I’m thrilled that I can now put all this behind me.”

However, McMahon’s legal troubles are not yet over. He is facing a lawsuit from former employee Janel Grant, who accused him of sex trafficking and sexual abuse. That lawsuit had paused in mid-2024 for federal investigations but has since resumed and remains active.

While the criminal probe has ended, questions linger regarding the integrity of the financial practices during McMahon’s tenure as CEO of WWE. The scrutiny persists following revelations that the company altered its financial statements to account for $14.6 million in total settlements and payments made by McMahon.

This case illustrates the complex relationship between corporate governance and accountability, particularly in high-profile companies like WWE, which has vehemently defended its leadership during these allegations.

A spokesman for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on the case.