Former lawyer for Pro Wrestling's Imprezario Vinth McMahon, as he investigated how the former WWE boss handled a multi-million-dollar settlement agreement with two female employees who accused him of sexual abuse. , it was wrong to withhold some documents from the Federal University Ju judge. It ruled on Monday.
Three judges in the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals in New York upheld a lower court's ruling that stated that the documents were not protected by the privileges of lawyers and clients due to “crime or fraud.”
Court of Appeals said that a lower court judge would falsely record when prosecutors illegally “avoid” McMahon and his lawyers illegally “avoid” WWE's internal controls and conceal employee claims and settlement agreements from the company. and stated that they had determined that there was a reasonable basis to believe they had created a false record when they did. A false and misleading statement to the company's auditors despite McMahon's payment of the settlement with funds that did not come from the company.
The appeals group submitted many documents in response to the subpoena of the large ju court, but they also submitted a log of 208 documents that had been withheld under the claim of the privilege of closing with the lawyer. He said he did.
Vince McMahon will be attending a WrestleMania 29 press conference at Radio City Music Hall on April 4, 2013 in New York City. (Eugene Gologursky/Wireimage)
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The identity of the parties has not been revealed in the opinion of the Court of Appeal, but those familiar with the matter confirm that the “former chief executive of the publicly-published company” is McMahon I did. It has been published.
The status of the investigation by the Great Juju Court was not immediately clear. The U.S. Lawyer's Office in Manhattan declined to comment when asked about the investigation.
Representatives from McMahon, who denied the misconduct, said they had not commented immediately on the court's ruling. McMahon previously suggested that he is not under investigation anymore.
In January, McMahon said in a statement that “nearly three years of investigation by different government agencies” ended with his actions. The statement came as the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission announced it had resolved accusations against McMahon for failing to disclose the disclosure agreement to two current former employees and WWE staff. .
“In the end, there was nothing more to this regarding the personal payments I made several years ago while I was CEO of WWE,” the statement said. “I'm excited to be able to put all of this behind me.”
April 3, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA. Vince McMahon, the owner of WE at AT&T Stadium. (Joe CamporeAle-Usa Today Sports)
Vince McMahon calls allegations of sexual misconduct against him “pure fiction.”
However, the appeals court said in its ruling Monday that the lawsuit “relates to the current pre-great lawsuit. No charges have been issued at the moment.”
This opinion revealed some new details of the investigation by the Great Ju Court.
Representatives of Janelle Grant, one of the former employees who won a settlement agreement from McMahon, declined to comment Monday.
McMahon resigned from WWE's parent company in January 2024 after Grant filed a federal lawsuit accusing him of another former executive of serious sexual misconduct. At the time, McMahon resigned from his position as executive chair on the board of WWE's parent company, TKO Group Holdings. He continued to deny any misconduct after filing the lawsuit.
McMahon resigned as WWE CEO in 2022 amid the company's investigation into allegations that match those in the suit.
Grant said he left his job at WWE and was pressured to sign a private $3 million contract.
April 3, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA. WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during Wrestle Mania at AT&T Stadium. (Joe CamporeAle-Usa Today Sports)
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The lawsuit alleging sexual battery and human trafficking is about to declare the agreement null and stating that McMahon gave her $1 million and violated the transaction by failing to pay the rest of the payments.
The $3 million settlement was mentioned in the Court of Appeals ruling Monday, referring to another $7.5 million settlement with another former employee, McMahon.
The Associated Press is not usually named people who file sexual assault allegations unless they move forward publicly.
According to the Court of Appeal, the prosecutors seek court documents and lawyer companies in September 2023, seeking all communication between court documents and lawyer companies and law firms, and McMahon's lawyers. He was a subpoena to The lawyers said McMahon helped negotiate the village.
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When lawyers withheld some of the documents claiming the privileges of lawyers and clients, prosecutors sought lower courts to force records to produce, leading to appeal on Monday.
The appeal judge wrote, “The settlement agreement that settled the victim's claims was “structured and negotiated… so that it remains hidden from the (company).” Promotes criminal schemes to maintain the (company) and its auditors and are not aware of the allegations.
