WWE's McMahon paid undeclared $5m to Trump Foundation: Report
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Former WWE chairman Vince McMahon is exposed in a tax filing investigation to have transferred an undisclosed $5m to the Trump Foundation, in the midst of an ongoing sexual misconduct case against him.
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Former President Donald Trump and former WWE chairman Vince McMahon (Getty)
An internal probe has been conducted by the board of World Wrestling Entertainment, known as WWE, which revealed that Vince McMahon provided former President Donald Trump’s now-defunct foundation with $5 million in undeclared payments, exposed in a series of securities filings and people familiar with the investigation.
This also comes after an ongoing investigation into the former WWE chief executive and retired professional wrestling promoter concerning sexual misconduct allegations, followed by his stepping down in July from his duties at the wrestling enterprise.
The Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon agreed to pay more than $12 million over the past 16 years to settle allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity.
$5 million to the Trump Foundation
According to the Wall Street Journal, that amount of undisclosed money withdrawal was a part of approximately $20 million in unreported expenses the former WWE executive paid out. Jerry McDevitt, one of the attorneys representing WWE, told WSJ in an email: “Mr. Trump and WWE entered into a contract whereby WWE agreed to and did pay him personally an appearance fee of $1 million,” adding: “At the same time, the McMahons made a personal contribution to the Trump Foundation of $4 million. There was no additional fee paid to Mr. Trump, or any additional contribution to the Trump Foundation, due to the success of the event."
This investigation comes alongside a recent search warrant that was conducted by the FBI at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in a separate debacle tied to the former president, which US Attorney General Merrick Garland "personally approved". The search warrant was unsealed Friday, demonstrating that authorities believed Trump may have violated several laws, among them the Espionage Act.
The Mar-a-Lago raid exposed Trump's violation of additional statutes relating to obstruction of justice, as well as the destruction of federal government records and the mishandling of classified documents.
