Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Vince McMahon’s Attorney in Grand Jury Investigation – Withheld Key Documents From Grand Jury Investigation

The legal troubles surrounding Vince McMahon continue to mount as a federal appeals court has ruled that his former attorney improperly withheld key documents from a grand jury investigation. The case revolves around multimillion-dollar settlements McMahon allegedly used to cover up accusations of sexual misconduct by two former WWE employees.

According to the Associated Press, the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals in New York upheld a previous ruling, determining that the withheld documents were not protected by attorney-client privilege due to an exception for “crime or fraud.”

The Allegations Against McMahon

Federal prosecutors argue that McMahon and his legal team went to great lengths to circumvent WWE’s internal policies and fabricate records to hide the settlements from company auditors. While McMahon reportedly used personal funds for the settlements, the court concluded that his actions—along with those of his attorney—misled WWE’s auditors and failed to properly disclose the financial agreements.

The lawsuit involves two settlements:

• $3 million to one former employee
• $7.5 million to another, who later filed a lawsuit against McMahon

One of the women involved, Janel Grant, claims she was coerced into leaving WWE and signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Her lawsuit argues that the NDA should be invalidated because McMahon failed to pay the full settlement amount.

Court Ruling and the Grand Jury Investigation

McMahon’s lawyer had already provided numerous documents to the grand jury but attempted to withhold 208 communications, citing attorney-client privilege. The appeals court rejected this argument, ordering the documents to be turned over, as they were allegedly part of a scheme to keep WWE and its auditors in the dark.

The court ruling stated:

“Because the settlement agreements resolving the Victims’ claims were ‘structured and negotiated … to keep them hidden from (the Company),’ the district court found that ‘all communications about the claims and settlement agreements were made in furtherance of the criminal scheme to keep (the Company) and its auditors unaware of the allegations.’”

While the ruling does not explicitly name McMahon, a source confirmed that he is the unnamed former CEO referenced in the case.

What Happens Next?

The current status of the grand jury investigation remains unclear, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan has not provided further comment. McMahon’s representatives have also not responded publicly, though he has denied any wrongdoing in the past.

This ruling comes months after McMahon settled SEC charges, agreeing to pay a $400,000 fine and reimburse WWE $1.3 million for failing to properly disclose the settlement payments.

With the legal walls seemingly closing in, the question now is whether this latest development could lead to criminal charges against the former WWE chairman.