United States v. McMahon explained

United States v. McMahon et al.
Court:United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Full Name:United States of America v. Vincent K. McMahon and Titan Sports, Inc., d/b/a "World Wrestling Federation"
Citations:9:93-cr-01276
Judges:Jacob Mishler
Number Of Judges:1
Opinions:Jury found Vince McMahon not guilty

United States v. McMahon et al (9:93-cr-01276) is a 1994 United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York criminal court case brought against Vince McMahon, chairman of the World Wrestling Federation on suspicion of supplying illegal anabolic steroids to his professional wrestlers. The jury found McMahon not guilty on July 23, 1994.[1]

Background

Vince McMahon was the chairman of Titan Sports Inc., the parent company of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a professional wrestling promotion.[2] In the late 1980s, the WWF had undergone a large expansion from being a National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) regional territorial wrestling promotion into an independent national one.

In 1991, Dr George Zahorian III, a Pennsylvania doctor who had worked as a ringside doctor for the WWF, had been convicted of illegally supplying anabolic steroids. At his trial, it was revealed that Zahorian had supplied steroids to the WWF and their wrestlers, specifically to Vince McMahon's office at Titan Towers. The WWF CEO Linda McMahon, married to Vince, had sent a memo in 1989 advising that Zahorian should not be used by the WWF prior to his arrest and trial on the grounds of suspicion of illicit steroids distribution.[3] In 1992, prior to being indicted, Vince McMahon closed down the World Bodybuilding Federation that he owned.[4]

As a result of Zahorian cooperating with prosecutors, McMahon was indicted in 1993.[5] The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Zachary W. Carter charged McMahon with conspiring to distribute steroids, possession of illegal steroids with intent to distribute and embezzlement for allegedly using money from Titan Sports Inc to purchase illegal steroids.[6]

Prior to the trial, McMahon had lost a civil lawsuit brought by Jesse "The Body" Ventura over $800,000 owed in royalties for Ventura's color commentary on WWF programming. That case, coupled with the steroid charges, was seen as a major downturn in McMahon's fortunes.[7] Furthermore, the charges came at a time when sexual abuse allegations involving the WWF were made public, as former referee Rita Chatterton appeared on Geraldo Rivera's television programs and accused McMahon of raping her, while allegations of child sexual abuse were made against other WWF employees.[8]

The case was set to be heard at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York rather than in McMahon's and the WWF's home state of Connecticut. This was because the prosecutors alleged that the distribution of steroids occurred in Long Island.[9] The trial was due to start in June 1994 but was delayed until the following month.[10] Ted Turner, the owner of the WWF's rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW), suggested that he would try to get CNN to cover the trial for Turner Broadcasting System.[11]

Trial

The United States government brought six charges against McMahon; however, three of the six were thrown out of court before the full trial. The three that remained were for two counts of distributing steroids and one of conspiracy to distribute steroids.[12] The case was heard by Judge Jacob Mishler. The prosecution alleged that McMahon was in charge of distribution of illegal steroids to WWF wrestlers; they also charged that McMahon had required wrestlers to take steroids while they were in the WWF. Appearing as the prosecution's main witness was Hulk Hogan, who had been the WWF's biggest star during the expansion and was working for WCW at the time of the trial.[13] Testifying under immunity from prosecution, Hogan said that while he had taken steroids previously under his own prescription for medical purposes and received them from Zahorian with his fanmail and paychecks, McMahon had never asked him to take any nor bought any on his behalf.[14] [15]

Eleven wrestlers, including Hogan, were called to testify by the prosecution. No other wrestlers called to the stand attested that McMahon had supplied them with steroids apart from Nailz. Nailz claimed that McMahon had pressured him into taking steroids to make him bigger.[16] However, McMahon's defense attorney argued that Nailz was a hostile witness as he had been fired from the WWF previously and was disgruntled and looking for revenge.[17] Nailz contradicted himself during his testimony by stating that he had no animosity towards McMahon but later answered in the affirmative that he hated McMahon.[18]

McMahon's legal team did not enter a defense. McMahon's lawyer stated he had only had one discussion with Zahorian about steroids and that was over McMahon's concerns about the health of his wrestlers.[19] Judge Mishler dismissed the distribution charges on the grounds that the prosecution had provided insufficient evidence that they occurred within the court's jurisdiction.[20] The jury deliberated for sixteen hours on the conspiracy charge before pronouncing a "not guilty" verdict. McMahon stated that he had used steroids but before they became illegal in 1991 under the Controlled Substances Act. McMahon declared his company drug-free and the WWF brought in a tough independent drugs-testing policy following this. Any WWF wrestler caught with drugs would be fired, as occurred a year later when Crush was arrested for being in possession of steroids and marijuana in Hawaii. He was fired by the WWF as a result, in accordance with McMahon's new policy.[21]

Consequences

Zahorian was sentenced to three years in prison after his conviction. By 2010, he had resumed practicing medicine in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[22]

After the trial, the WWF retained their drug-testing policy brought in as a result of the investigation and even used it in their Billionaire Ted skits on WWF programming to make the point that WCW did not have one.[23] However, according to Linda, they suspended it in 1996 due to cost.[24] The WWF also started promoting smaller wrestlers rather than the muscular ones that they had since the 1980s.[25] In 2003, the trial was used as a part of angle for a feud between Hogan and McMahon which culminated in them having a wrestling match at WrestleMania XIX which was won by Hogan.[26]

During Linda McMahon's 2010 United States Senate campaign, the steroid trial was used by her political opponents to attack her.[27] A lawyer representing WWE stated that she was unrelated to the scandal.

Media portrayals

The trial was the focus of an episode of the third season of the Viceland pro wrestling docuseries Dark Side of the Ring.[28] On July 26, 2021, it was reported that a television series adaptation of McMahon's life was in development by WWE Studios and Blumhouse Television. Titled The United States of America vs. Vince McMahon, the series will be a fictionalized version of the court case.[29] [30] [31]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: USA v. McMahon, et al :: New York Eastern District Court :: Criminal Case No. 9:93-cr-01276, Judge Jacob Mishler presiding . Plainsite.org . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429133812/https://www.plainsite.org/dockets/2ohm0k5tx/new-york-eastern-district-court/usa-v-mcmahon-et-al/ . live .
  2. United States of America against Vince McMahon and Titan Sports Inc. . The Day . 1994-12-07 . 2021-05-19 . April 17, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160417234228/http://www.theday.com/assets/pdf/NL7163249.PDF . live .
  3. Web site: McMahon warned steroid doctor of investigation . The Day . 2010-04-09 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429105413/https://www.theday.com/article/20100409/NWS12/100409727 . live .
  4. Web site: Carlos . Acosta . Vince McMahon and the steroid scandal, 25 years later . Super Luchas . 2019-07-22 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429102655/https://en.superluchas.com/vince-mcmahon-y-el-escandalo-de-los-esteroides-25-anos-despues/ . live .
  5. Web site: W.W.F.'s McMahon Indicted . The New York Times . 1993-11-19 . 2024-03-08 .
  6. Web site: WWF guru picks himself up off the mat . The Windsor Star . Newspapers.com . subscription . 1995-02-01 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429094008/https://www.newspapers.com/image/504301367/?terms=Vince%20Mcmahon%20savage%20trial&match=1 . live .
  7. News: "The Body" puts a legal slam on Vince McMahon . News-Journal . May 5, 1994 . 18 . Newspapers.com . 2024-03-08 .
  8. Web site: Riesman. Abraham. Abraham Riesman. The First Female Referee in WWE Says Vince McMahon Raped Her. New York Magazine. December 25, 2023. en. June 27, 2022. January 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230119215804/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/06/vince-mcmahon-accused-of-rape-by-first-female-wwe-referee.html. live.
  9. Web site: Wrestling Promoter Fights Steroid Charges . The New York Times . subscription . 1994-04-28 . 2021-04-29 . November 7, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141107133220/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/28/nyregion/wrestling-promoter-fights-steroid-charges.html . live .
  10. Web site: Hulk Hogan to take the witness stand vs. McMahon . News-Journal . Newspapers.com . subscription . 1994-06-13 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429095217/https://www.newspapers.com/image/296138131/?terms=Vince%20Mcmahon%20piper%20trial&match=1 . live .
  11. Web site: Ted Turner says the darndest things... . Daily News . Newspapers.com . subscription . 1994-07-12 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429095920/https://www.newspapers.com/image/474331234/?terms=Vince%20Mcmahon%20trial&match=1 . live .
  12. Web site: McMahon's steroid trial will open Tuesday . The Miami Herald . Newspapers.com . subscription . 1994-07-03 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429095803/https://www.newspapers.com/image/638281506/?terms=Vince%20Mcmahon%20piper%20trial&match=1 . live .
  13. Web site: Justin . Murphy . Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair: The Feud That Never Was . Bleacher Report . 2011-07-01 . 2021-07-06 . July 9, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190208/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/750462-hulk-hogan-vs-ric-flair-the-feud-that-never-was-part-1 . live .
  14. Web site: Hulk Hogan, on Witness Stand, Tells of Steroid Use in Wrestling . The New York Times . subscription . 1994-07-15 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429134831/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/15/nyregion/hulk-hogan-on-witness-stand-tells-of-steroid-use-in-wrestling.html . live .
  15. Web site: Hulk Hogan's Testimony from the WWF's 1994 Steroid Trial . Angelfire.com . 2021-04-29 . August 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210802161543/https://www.angelfire.com/fl2/SpiritoholicsI/hogan.html . live .
  16. Web site: Nailz the Wrestler Testifies He Was Told to Use Steroids . The New York Times . subscription . 1994-07-12 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429133811/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/12/nyregion/nailz-the-wrestler-testifies-he-was-told-to-use-steroids.html . live .
  17. Web site: The Forgotten Steroid Trial That Almost Brought Down Vince McMahon . Vice . July 10, 2015. 2021-04-29 . April 17, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190417140725/https://sports.vice.com/en_uk/article/pg5n3z/the-forgotten-steroid-trial-that-almost-brought-down-vince-mcmahon . live .
  18. Web site: Promoter cleared of steroid charges . Asbury Park Press . Newspapers.com . subscription . 1994-07-23 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429092958/https://www.newspapers.com/image/148211901/?terms=A%20Promoter%20Of%20Wrestling%20Is%20Acquitted&match=1 . live .
  19. Web site: A Promoter Of Wrestling Is Acquitted . The New York Times . subscription . 1994-07-23 . 2021-04-29 . March 19, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180319152909/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/23/nyregion/a-promoter-of-wrestling-is-acquitted.html . live .
  20. Web site: Pro Wrestling chief found not guilty of steroid charges . The Salina Journal . Newspapers.com . subscription . 1994-07-23 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429103353/https://www.newspapers.com/image/1429491/?terms=Vince%20Mcmahon%20charge%20trial%20dismissed&match=1 . live .
  21. Web site: Crush arrested . The Miami Herald . Newspapers.com . subscription . 1995-04-02 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429094644/https://www.newspapers.com/image/640104708/?terms=Vince%20Mcmahon%20savage%20trial&match=1 . live .
  22. Web site: Thrush . Glenn . Memo: McMahon tipped steroid doctor . Politico. April 9, 2010 . March 17, 2022 . en.
  23. Web site: Eric Bischoff On Why He Called Vince McMahon Over "Billionaire Ted" Skits During Monday Night Wars . Wrestling Inc. . 2021-01-31 . 2021-04-29 . February 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210224223717/https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2021/01/eric-bischoff-on-why-he-called-vince-mcmahon-over-billionaire-ted-skits-during-monday-night-wars/ . live .
  24. News: Lambert . Ben . Steroid stain lingers over Linda McMahon's WWE; Conn. U.S. Senate candidate may take hit over drug controversy (documents, video) . New Hampshire Register . 2010-06-19 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429111302/https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Steroid-stain-lingers-over-Linda-McMahon-s-WWE-11610516.php . live .
  25. Jamie . Sharp . Pinned Down: Labor Law and Professional Wrestling . Entertainment and Sports Lawyer . 24 . 3 . Hein Online . 2021-06-07 . July 9, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182042/https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals%2Fentspl24&div=7&id=&page= . live .
  26. Web site: Evan . McGarvey . The Rehabilitation of Kurt Angle . Slate . 2018-02-27 . 2021-07-06 . July 10, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210710223930/https://slate.com/culture/2018/02/how-vince-mcmahons-wwe-is-selling-kurt-angles-comeback-from-opioid-addiction.html . live .
  27. Web site: A Senate Run Brings Professional Wrestling Into the Spotlight . The New York Times . subscription . 2010-07-16 . 2021-04-29 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429111301/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/nyregion/16mcmahon.html . live .
  28. Web site: 'Dark Side of the Ring' Season 3 to Tackle WWF Steroid Trials and The Plane Ride From Hell (Exclusive). Tony. Maglio. The Wrap. 2021-04-27. 2021-08-14. July 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711055612/https://www.thewrap.com/dark-side-of-the-ring-season-3-episodes-brian-pillman-wwf-steroid-trials-plane-ride-from-hell-trailer-video/. live.
  29. Web site: Vince McMahon Scripted Series In The Works With Blumhouse TV & WWE. Peter. White. Deadline Hollywood. 2021-07-26. 2021-07-26. July 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210727154022/https://deadline.com/2021/07/vince-mcmahon-scripted-series-blumhouse-tv-wwe-1234799786/. live.
  30. Barrasso. Justin. Vince McMahon's Steroids Trial the Subject of WWE Series. 2021-07-26. Sports Illustrated. July 26, 2021 . en-us. August 3, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210803142409/https://www.si.com/wrestling/2021/07/26/wwe-scripted-series-vince-mcmahon-1994-steroids-trial. live.
  31. Web site: Otterson. Joe. 2021-07-26. Vince McMahon Steroid Trial Scripted Series in the Works From WWE, Blumhouse Television. 2021-07-26. Variety. en-US. August 3, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210803142259/https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/vince-mcmahon-steroid-trial-series-wwe-blumhouse-television-1235027046/. live.

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