Vince McMahon resigned from TKO Group Holdings, WWE’s parent company, in January 2024 after former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a federal lawsuit accusing him and another former executive of serious sexual misconduct. McMahon denied wrongdoing. A separate appellate ruling later opened a window into a grand-jury investigation of two settlement agreements—but it was about access to records, not a finding that McMahon committed a crime.
Why did Vince McMahon leave WWE?
McMahon left TKO in January 2024, after Grant’s lawsuit brought her allegations into public view. TKO is WWE’s parent company, so describing this simply as McMahon leaving WWE can obscure the corporate distinction. He denied Grant’s allegations.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Mattel WWE “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan Action Figure, Main Event Series #165 | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Mattel WWE Toy Vehicle & Rey Mysterio Action Fgure Set | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Mattel WWE Jey USO Play & Display Action Figure | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The appellate ruling and the later Securities and Exchange Commission action concerned a different issue: how two multimillion-dollar agreements with former employees were handled and disclosed. Those proceedings should not be treated as a decision about whether Grant’s civil allegations are true.
What did the appellate ruling reveal?
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld a lower-court order requiring McMahon’s former lawyer to produce communications that the lawyer had withheld as privileged. The lower court relied on the crime-fraud exception, which can prevent attorney-client privilege from shielding communications connected to suspected wrongdoing. The lawyer’s privilege log listed 208 documents, according to the Associated Press.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- Fan Favorites! WWE action figures bring Superstars to life in 6-inch scale.
- TrueFX Technology! Each figure is detailed with a life-like face for added collectability.
- Dynamic Posing! Fans can recreate signature moves with 14 points of articulation.
- Play and Display! Reenact favorite WWE Main Event matches or create new rivalries and moves.
- Super Collectible! WWE fans can find their favorite Superstar figures (each sold separately, subject to availability).
AP reported that prosecutors had subpoenaed the lawyer and law firm in September 2023 for communications concerning two former employees. The appellate opinion anonymized the parties; AP said a person familiar with the matter identified the former CEO of a publicly traded company as McMahon.
What the ruling did—and did not—decide
According to AP’s account, the lower court found prosecutors had reasonable grounds to believe McMahon and his lawyer had circumvented WWE’s internal controls, created false records, and made false or misleading statements to auditors while concealing the agreements. Those were grounds for compelling documents under the crime-fraud exception, not a criminal verdict. The appellate court’s ruling concerned access to subpoenaed communications in a grand-jury investigation; it did not decide the merits of Grant’s lawsuit or declare McMahon criminally liable.
AP reported that the appellate court said, “At present, no indictments have been issued.” That describes the posture reported at the time of the ruling; it does not establish the current status of any investigation.
Rank #2
- Roll down to the ring with the Lucha Low Rider vehicle.
- Includes a WWE Main Event Rey Mysterio action figure with advanced articulation.
- Recreate iconic entrances with the Lucha Low Rider hydraulics action.
- Rey Mysterio can enter the match with the vehicle's launching action.
- Ride into matches with real rolling wheels.
What were the settlements?
The appellate reporting described agreements of $3 million and $7.5 million. In its separate matter, the SEC said the agreements were signed in 2019 and 2022 and totaled $10.5 million. The SEC said McMahon did not disclose them to WWE’s board, legal department, accountants, financial-reporting personnel, or auditor.
According to the SEC’s January 10, 2025 order, the omitted payments caused WWE to overstate net income by approximately 8% for 2018 and approximately 1.7% for 2021. The agency said the disclosure failures resulted in material misstatements in the company’s financial statements.
What did the SEC do?
The SEC resolved its administrative charges separately from the appellate document-production ruling and Grant’s civil case. As reported by AP, McMahon agreed to cease and desist from certain violations, pay a $400,000 civil penalty, and reimburse WWE approximately $1.3 million. He neither admitted nor denied the SEC’s findings.
Rank #3
- Fan Favorites! WWE action figures bring Superstars to life in 6-inch scale.
- TrueFX Technology! Each figure is detailed with a life-like face for added collectability.
- Dynamic Posing! Fans can recreate signature moves with 14 points of articulation.
- Play and Display! Reenact favorite WWE Main Event matches or create new rivalries and moves.
- Super Collectible! WWE fans can find their favorite Superstar figures (each sold separately, subject to availability).
Thomas P. Smith Jr., associate regional director in the SEC’s New York Regional Office, said: “Company executives cannot enter into material agreements on behalf of the company they serve and withhold that information from the company’s control functions and auditor.”
McMahon characterized the matter differently in a statement quoted by AP: “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.” That was his response, not an independent finding.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →How is Grant’s lawsuit different?
Grant’s federal lawsuit is a civil case containing allegations against McMahon and another former executive. The SEC resolution did not resolve that lawsuit. Grant’s lawyer, Ann Callis, disputed the validity of the nondisclosure agreement; McMahon denied Grant’s allegations. The appellate ruling addressed the privilege claim over documents in a grand-jury investigation, not the truth of the civil complaint.
Was Vince McMahon charged with a crime?
The appellate report said no indictments had been issued at the time of the ruling. The available information here does not establish the later status of the grand-jury investigation or the civil proceedings. The document-production ruling itself was not a criminal charge, conviction, or finding of guilt.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
