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Linda McMahon, a long-time Trump crony is back for her second round in the cabinet, this time at the Department of Education. Just as she was unqualified and out of her depth at the SBA in the first administration, McMahon does not have the background needed to effectively run the department responsible for overseeing our schools. More than her lack of experience, McMahon spent her time after the first Trump administration leading the America First Policy Institute, which endorsed a dangerous education agenda that would set American students back decades and defund our schools. AFPI supports expanding so-called school access and ESAs nationwide, as well as endorses the Project 2025 agenda, which calls for eliminating the Department of Education completely, ending federal student loans, block granting and eliminating federal funding to schools, ending public service student loan forgiveness, and creating voucher programs in every state. |
McMahon Was The Chair of The America First Policy Institute. [America First Policy Institute, accessed 2/10/25]
America First Policy Institute Backed The “Project 2025” Transition Agenda That Aimed To Defund Or Dismantle Many Key Departments Of The Federal Government. According to CREW, “These expansions, ushered in with leaders with histories of election denial, demands fresh scrutiny not only on AFPI’s goals to ‘enhance’ election integrity, but also on AFPI’s role in supporting initiatives like Project 2025. The transition agenda—inspired by Trump, organized by The Heritage Foundation, and backed by a conservative coalition including AFPI—aims to defund or even dismantle and replace key federal departments including the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Environmental Protection Agency, and to bring in swaths of conservative and right-wing players to Washington to fill such agencies under Trump.” [CREW, 4/4/24]
Project 2025 On the Department of Education: “For The Sake Of American Children, Congress Should Shutter It And Return Control Of Education To The States.” According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, “In contrast to DOJ’s long history, the Department of Education (the department, or ED), discussed by Lindsey Burke in Chapter 11, is a creation of the Jimmy Carter Administration. The department is a convenient one-stop shop for the woke education cartel, which—as the COVID era showed—is not particularly concerned with children’s education. Schools should be responsive to parents, rather than to leftist advocates intent on indoctrination—and the more the federal government is involved in education, the less responsive to parents the public schools will be. This department is an example of federal intrusion into a traditionally state and local realm. For the sake of American children, Congress should shutter it and return control of education to the states.” [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025: “The Federal Department Of Education Should Be Eliminated.” According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, “Federal education policy should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated. When power is exercised, it should empower students and families, not government. In our pluralistic society, families and students should be free to choose from a diverse set of school options and learning environments that best fit their needs. Our postsecondary institutions should also reflect such diversity, with room for not only 'traditional' liberal arts colleges and research universities but also faith-based institutions, career schools, military academies, and lifelong learning programs.” [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025 Called For A Voucher Program Nationwide. According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, "Elementary and secondary education policy should follow the path outlined by Milton Friedman in 1955, wherein education is publicly funded but education decisions are made by families. Ultimately, every parent should have the option to direct his or her child’s share of education funding through an education savings account (ESA), funded overwhelmingly by state and local taxpayers, which would empower parents to choose a set of education options that meet their child's unique needs." [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025 Called For Giving Federal Education Funding Directly To Families To Spend How They Choose. According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, "Advancing education freedom. Empowering families to choose among a diverse set of education options is key to reform and improved outcomes, and it can be achieved without establishing a new federal program. For example, portability of existing federal education spending to fund families directly or allowing federal tax credits to encourage voluntary contributions to K–12 education savings accounts managed by charitable nonprofits, could significantly advance education choice." [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025 Called For Federal Tax Credits For ESAs. According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, "Advancing education freedom. Empowering families to choose among a diverse set of education options is key to reform and improved outcomes, and it can be achieved without establishing a new federal program. For example, portability of existing federal education spending to fund families directly or allowing federal tax credits to encourage voluntary contributions to K–12 education savings accounts managed by charitable nonprofits, could significantly advance education choice." [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025 Called For Denying Loans To Every Student At Schools Who Give In-State Tuition Rates To Undocumented Students. According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, “Department of Education: Deny loan access to those who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, and deny loan access to students at schools that provide in-state tuition to illegal aliens.” [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025 Called For Eliminating Federal Student Loans In Favor Of A Completely Private System. According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, "Although student loans and grants should ultimately be restored to the private sector (or, at the very least, the federal government should revisit its role as a guarantor, rather than direct lender) federal postsecondary education investments should bolster economic growth, and recipient institutions should nourish academic freedom and embrace intellectual diversity." [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025 Called For Reversing Loan Federalization And Creating A “New Government Corporation” To Give Loans. According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, "The next Administration should completely reverse the student loan federalization of 2010 and work with Congress to spin off FSA and its student loan obligations to a new government corporation with professional governance and management." [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025 Called For A New Student Loan Program that Did not Include Any Loan Forgiveness. According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, "Consolidate all federal loan programs into one new program that 1. Utilizes income-driven repayment, 2. Includes no interest rate subsidies or loan forgiveness, 3. Includes annual and aggregate limits on borrowing, and 4. Requires “skin in the game” from colleges to help hold them accountable for loan repayment." [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025: “The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, Which Prioritizes Government And Public Sector Work Over Private Sector Employment, Should Be Terminated.” According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, "The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which prioritizes government and public sector work over private sector employment, should be terminated. Whatever Congress chooses to do with future loans, there is still the question of the government’s responsible stewardship of the existing student loan portfolio—a substantial taxpayer asset. The current Administration has recklessly engaged in the policy fetish of forgiving and canceling student loans with abandon." [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025 Called For First Block Granting Title I Funding And Over A 10 Year Period Eliminating It Completely By Having States Pay For It. According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, "Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) The OESE is comprised of 36 programs, ranging from Title I, Part A, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Impact Aid, to programs for Native American students and the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. l Reduce the number of programs managed by OESE, and transfer some remaining programs to other federal agencies. l Transfer Title I, Part A, which provides federal funding for lower income school districts, to the Department of Health and Human Services, specifically the Administration for Children and Families. It should be administered as a no-strings-attached formula block grant. Restore revenue responsibility for Title I funding to the states over a 10-year period. […] l Initially, the responsibilities for administering and overseeing Title I should be moved to HHS, along with IDEA. l Students attending schools that receive Title I spending should also have access to micro-education savings accounts that allow families to choose how and where their children learn according to their needs. l Parents should be allowed to use their child’s Title I resources to help pay for private learning options including tutoring services and curricular materials. l Over a 10-year period, the federal spending should be phased out and states should assume decision-making control over how to provide a quality education to children from low-income families." [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025 Called For Block Granting IDEA Funding. According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, "The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) houses nearly two dozen programs, ranging from funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf to Special Olympics Funding and the American Printing House for the Blind. l Most IDEA funding should be converted into a no-strings formula block grant targeted at students with disabilities and distributed directly to local education agencies by Health and Human Service’s Administration for Community Living." [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
Project 2025 Called For Eliminating the Office of Postsecondary Education. According to Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, “The next Administration should work with Congress to eliminate or move OPE programs to ETA at the Department of Labor.” [Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025, 7/12/22]
McMahon Supported School Choice And Charter Schools. According to Linda McMahon’s 2010 Senate campaign website, “As a former member of the Connecticut State School Board, improving public education is very dear to my heart. I believe that every child should have an opportunity for the best education we can provide. We have to continue to provide education that will close the achievement gap for lower income students. I am a strong supporter of the secondary school reform, which is underway in Connecticut. We must require high standards and accountability for teachers and school administrators, and I support the current review of the teacher evaluation process that the State Board is undertaking. I believe in local control. I am an advocate for choice through charter schools.” [Linda2010.com/Issues via Wayback Machine, accessed 12/9/16]
McMahon Was The Chair of The America First Policy Institute. [America First Policy Institute, accessed 2/10/25]
The America First Policy Institute Supported School Choice Programs, Called For Expansion. According to the America First Policy Institute's Pillar IV, “THE AMERICA FIRST AGENDA At the federal level, support policies that: « Expand education freedom and opportunity for students by providing incentives to fund scholarship awards to cover expenses related to K12 public and private education. At the state level, support policies that: « Enable statewide open enrollment and eliminate school district boundaries, allowing parents to enroll their children at any school in the state. « Expand access to charter schools. « Assist low-income families and special-needs students by providing education scholarship accounts.” [America First policy Institute, accessed 2/10/25]
McMahon Said She Was Hearing That Small Business Owners Wanted Tax Cuts And Encouraged The President And Congress To Pass Tax Reform. According to a press release from the U.S. Small Business Administration, “‘[McMahon] In my role as SBA Administrator, I've been traveling across the nation meeting with small businesses owners, so that I can better advocate on their behalf back in Washington. I consistently hear the same message: they want cuts to the current tax rates and a simplified code, so they can better utilize the time currently spent preparing their taxes. I also hear from owners that they would use any money gained from tax cuts to reinvest in their businesses, resulting in more jobs for hard working Americans. America was built on the backs of our entrepreneurs; reforming the tax-code will help to revive that entrepreneurial spirit and spur further economic growth. I want to commend the President, and Congressional leadership for their efforts and vision, and look forward to seeing it cross the finish line.’” [U.S. Small Business Administration Press Release, 11/29/17]
McMahon Said Trump’s Tax Plan Was “Great News” For Small Business Owners. According to Fox Business, “Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon says President Trump’s tax plan, announced Wednesday, is ‘great news’ for small business owners. ‘They’ll have more money in their pocket, they’ll grow their business, they’ll hire more people and they’re really looking forward to having the benefit of this tax cut.’” [Fox Business, 4/27/17]
McMahon Applauded Trump’s Efforts To Reduce Taxes. According to a press release from the Small Business Administration, “The following statement was made by U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon on President Trump’s visit to North Dakota, to speak on tax reform: ‘I am very happy to see President Trump visiting North Dakota to speak on tax reform. The current tax system is a huge burden to Americans and directly impacts the success and advancement of our nation’s small businesses. We will see a dramatic growth in the economy if we can lower our tax rate and simplify the tax code. […] More than 98 percent of businesses in North Dakota are small businesses! By cutting taxes, we are putting more money directly into the pockets of the hard-working American entrepreneur. Consistently as I travel around the country meeting small business owners, they tell me that they will reinvest in their companies and hire more people if they can get a more favorable tax rate. We are looking for aggressive reductions, and I have the utmost confidence in President Trump that he will not settle for anything less than that.’” [Small Business Administration Press Release, 9/6/17]
McMahon Quoted An Employer Saying The Trump Tax Cuts Were Giving Him And His Partners Hope About The Future Of Their Business. According to an op-ed in Penn Live from Linda McMahon, “The 26,000-square-foot space in Silver Spring Township has 80 employees and serves as many as 300 customers a day. It produces specialty beers, as well as all the root beer and other craft sodas served at the company's six restaurants and bottled for sale in thousands of locations across the country. And still, Artie notes, the facility is operating at only 15 percent capacity. As it grows, he'll create 20 or 30 more jobs. Growth had stalled after this location opened in 2014, but since President Trump signed the tax cuts into law, Artie and his partners are feeling optimistic: ‘We see the future as being pretty bright. We see people spending money now.’” [Penn Live, Opinion- Linda McMahon, 8/18/18]
McMahon Said Small Business Owners Would See Lower Taxes Under The Trump Tax Cuts. According to an op-ed in Penn Live from Linda McMahon, “They'll be taxed at lower rates. When filing taxes, most businesses will be able to deduct 20 percent of their business income. And for the next five years, they'll be able to write off a significant portion of the cost of investments in new equipment in the year the investments are made.” [Penn Live, Opinion- Linda McMahon, 8/18/18]
McMahon Said Small Business Owners Were Creating Jobs As A Rest Of Their Confidence In The Economy Under The Trump Administration. According to an op-ed in Penn Live from Linda McMahon, “As a result of their confidence in our economy, small business owners are creating jobs. The latest jobs report shows that since President Trump was elected, almost 3 million jobs have been created.” [Penn Live, Opinion- Linda McMahon, 8/18/18]
McMahon Said Many Entrepreneurs Intended To Invest Their Tax Savings In Their Businesses. According to an op-ed in Penn Live from Linda McMahon, “Many entrepreneurs tell me they'll invest their tax savings in their businesses - adding resources, improving technology, raising wages or giving bonuses to employees. And because of their lower tax rates, most workers are seeing more money in their paychecks. The Council of Economic Advisers estimates the economy will grow by three percent on average over the next ten years, and household incomes will increase by about $4,000 a year due to the corporate tax cuts alone.” [Penn Live, Opinion- Linda McMahon, 8/18/18]
McMahon Celebrated Small Business Owners Investing Their Savings Into Their Companies And Employees. According to a press release from the Small Business Administration, “As we mark six months since President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law, we continue to see more Americans working. The unemployment rate of 3.8 percent matches the lowest level it’s been in nearly 50 years. As head of the United States Small Business Administration, I constantly hear from small business owners who are investing their tax savings in their companies and their employees – raising wages, providing bonuses and benefits, and creating more jobs. With more money in their pockets, Americans are spending again – and that’s good news for small businesses.” [Small Business Administration Press Release, 6/29/18]
McMahon Said The TCJA Led Small Businesses To Invest In Their Employees, Hire More, And Increase Wages And Benefits. According to Fox Business, “Since Trump signed the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law, small business optimism began to surge, holding at historic levels for 17 months, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), America's leading small business association. McMahon said innovation is the key to the continued growth of the U.S. economy. ‘[Small businesses] are investing in their employees. They are hiring more. They are training more. They are increasing wages and benefits,’ she said.” [Fox Business, 8/24/18]
The March To Save America Was Organized By A Group Known As Women For America First. According to CNBC, “The rally, officially known as the ‘March to Save America,’ was largely organized by a 501(c)(4) group known as Women for America First. The organization was certified by the Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit that can engage in limited political activities. These groups are known as dark money organizations as they do not publicly disclose their donors.” [CNBC, 1/9/21]
At The March To Save America Rally, Trump Urged His Supporters To March To The Capitol. According to ABC News, “Speaking at the ‘March to Save America’ rally at the Ellipse in President's Park on Wednesday, President Trump urged a sea of supporters to march to the Capitol in protest of the Electoral College vote count -- telling the crowd he'd join them but ultimately not doing so -- after delivering a speech pushing baseless and unfounded claims that the election was rigged and telling the rowdy crowd that ‘you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength.’” [ABC News, 1/8/21]
Trump’s Order Sent Thousands Of His Supporters To The Capitol, Which Set Off A Series Of Events Leaving At Least Nine People Dead. According to the New York Times, “As a pro-Trump protest turned into a violent attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 last year, four people in the crowd died. […] In the days and weeks after the riot, five police officers who had served at the Capitol on Jan. 6 died.” [New York Times, 1/5/22]
America First Policies Contributed $25,000 To Women For America First. According to CNBC, “However, America First Policies, a pro-Trump policy advocacy dark money group, did disclose in 2019 that they contributed to Women for America First. America First’s 990 disclosure form from that year shows they contributed $25,000 to Women for America First.” [CNBC, 1/9/21]
Linda McMahon Chaired America First Policies. According to CNBC, “America First Policies, which is also a 501(c)(4) that does not disclose its donors, is chaired by Linda McMahon, a longtime Trump ally and former head of the Small Business Administration. The 2019 filing shows America First Policies ended up raising over $30 million. They were not involved with the planning of the rally itself.” [CNBC, 1/9/21]
America First Policy Institute Announced It Would Expand Its State Policy Teams. According to CREW, “America First Policy Institute, a non-profit think tank founded in 2021 by former Trump officials and close allies with the objective of advancing Trump’s policy agenda, announced last month that it will be expanding its state policy team after the launch of its first state chapters in Georgia, Florida, California, Pennsylvania and Arizona.” [CREW, 4/4/24]
America First Policy Institute Appointed Known Election Deniers To Lead The Four State Chapters Announced So Far. According to CREW, “Election deniers have been appointed to lead the four state chapters that have announced leadership so far. AFPI is avidly preparing for a second Trump presidency while receiving massive donations from just a handful of individuals. According to its website, AFPI hopes to eventually install state branches in all 50 states—but for now, it has welcomed a slate of election deniers to existing state leadership positions.” [CREW, 4/4/24]
America First Policy Institute Backed The “Project 2025” Transition Agenda That Aimed To Defund Or Dismantle Many Key Departments Of The Federal Government. According to CREW, “These expansions, ushered in with leaders with histories of election denial, demands fresh scrutiny not only on AFPI’s goals to ‘enhance’ election integrity, but also on AFPI’s role in supporting initiatives like Project 2025. The transition agenda—inspired by Trump, organized by The Heritage Foundation, and backed by a conservative coalition including AFPI—aims to defund or even dismantle and replace key federal departments including the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Environmental Protection Agency, and to bring in swaths of conservative and right-wing players to Washington to fill such agencies under Trump.” [CREW, 4/4/24]
October 2024: Five Former WWE “Ring Boys” Sued McMahon And Her Husband, Vince McMahon, And Accused Them Of Criminal Negligence By Keeping Employed A Man Who They Alleged Sexually Abused Them. According to The New York Times, “Linda McMahon, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice for education secretary, has been accused in a recent lawsuit of failing to stop a ringside announcer for World Wrestling Entertainment from grooming and sexually abusing children in the 1980s and 1990s. Ms. McMahon and her husband, Vince McMahon, ran the wrestling empire beginning in the early 1980s, with Ms. McMahon working as its president and chief executive officer until 2009. […] Allegations that underage boys were abused by employees have dogged the organization for decades. The recent lawsuit was filed in October by five former ‘ring boys’ who ran errands and helped set up before matches for W.W.E. in the 1980s. The lawsuit claims that the five boys were sexually abused by the organization’s ringside announcer and ring crew chief, Melvin Phillips Jr., who died in 2012. It was filed in Maryland against Mr. McMahon, Ms. McMahon, W.W.E. and TKO Group Holdings. The suit accuses the McMahons and the other defendants of criminal negligence by allowing Mr. Phillips to remain at the company for years. The plaintiffs are not named.” [New York Times, 11/21/24]
The Plaintiffs Said The McMahons Were Aware Of Credible Accusations Of Sexual Abuse Against Melvin Phillips Jr., WWE’s Ringside Announcer And Ring Crew Chief, Melvin Phillips Jr. According to The New York Times, “The lawsuit claims that the five boys were sexually abused by the organization’s ringside announcer and ring crew chief, Melvin Phillips Jr., who died in 2012. It was filed in Maryland against Mr. McMahon, Ms. McMahon, W.W.E. and TKO Group Holdings. The suit accuses the McMahons and the other defendants of criminal negligence by allowing Mr. Phillips to remain at the company for years. The plaintiffs are not named. The suit says the McMahons were aware of credible abuse accusations against Mr. Phillips and other employees, and tolerated them anyway. It does not accuse Ms. McMahon of sexual misconduct.” [New York Times, 11/21/24]
The Plaintiffs Said Phillips Would Sexually Abuse Them In Hotels And Dressing Rooms And Gave Them Money After The Encounters, Which He Sometimes Filmed. According to The New York Times, “The five former ring boys who brought the suit each met Mr. Phillips in the early to mid-1980s, when they were between 13 and 15 years old, the lawsuit says. Mr. Phillips met the boys outside the arenas as they waited for shows to begin, and would then invite them in, giving them free seats, according to the lawsuit. Eventually, he would bring them back to his hotel or dressing room, lie on top of them, massage their legs and feet, and abuse them sexually, the complaint says. He gave the boys money after the encounters, which he would sometimes videotape, the complaint says.” [New York Times, 11/21/24]
The Plaintiffs Said That McMahon And Her Husband, Vince McMahon, Fired Phillips After Allegations Surfaced But Rehired Him Six Weeks Later. According to The New York Times, “According to the complaint, in 1988 the McMahons fired Mr. Phillips after a slew of allegations about him came to light. But it says the McMahons rehired the announcer six weeks later and protected him legally, including by filing a defamation suit in 1992 against a New York Post columnist who wrote about the abuse allegations when two ring boys went public with their stories.” [New York Times, 11/21/24]
New York Post Columnist Phil Mushnick Said McMahon’s Husband, Vince McMahon, Told Him That They Knew About Phillips’s “Unnatural Interest” In Children And Rehired Him With The Caveat That He “Stop Chasing After Kids.” According to Business Insider, “When the New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick saw McMahon’s appearance, he was irate: Just days before, Mushnick wrote in a 1992 column, McMahon had confessed in a phone call that he suspected Phillips of taking an ‘unnatural’ interest in young boys and had even fired him for it before hiring him back. ‘Two weeks ago, during pour-his-heart-out phone calls,’ Mushnick wrote, McMahon ‘told West Coast-based journalist Dave Meltzer, then me, that he had let Phillips go four years ago because Phillips’ relationship with kids seemed peculiar and unnatural. McMahon said he re-hired Phillips with the caveat that Phillips steer clear from kids.’ Meltzer confirmed to Insider that this was an accurate account of his call with McMahon. […] In a deposition taken as part of the lawsuit, Mushnick described what he said were detailed conversations with Vince McMahon in which the WWE mogul acknowledged that he and Linda McMahon ‘had known for some time that Mel had a peculiar and unnatural interest and attachment to children’ and had fired him for it, only to let Phillips return out of pity. ‘McMahon told me that it was his great regard for children, his own personal regard for children, that made him get rid of Mel Phillips,’ Mushnick said in the deposition. ‘He told me that he was returned by Linda,’ Mushnick testified. ‘Vince and Linda returned Phillips to the organization with the caveat that Mel steer clear of underaged boys, stop hanging around kids, and stop chasing after kids.’ Vince McMahon said he brought him back, Mushnick testified, because Phillips ‘really missed the wrestling’ and ‘really missed the scene.’” [Business Insider, 10/29/20]
The WWE “Has Made Untold Profits From Using Labor Loopholes To Classify Its Employees As ‘Independent Contractors.’” According to Deadspin, “It is hard to think of any person whose life work has been more inimical to workers, and indeed to small businesses, than McMahon. WWE has made untold profits from using labor loopholes to classify its employees as ‘independent contractors,’ denying them overtime despite grueling travel schedules and health care despite the physical toll taken by the job.” [Deadspin, 12/7/16]
Connecticut Audited WWE In 2010 “To Determine If WWE Cut Costs Improperly Using Independent Contractors.” According to the Connecticut Post, “While U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon has been touting her business prowess building and running Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment, the state has been auditing the company to determine if WWE cut costs by improperly using independent contractors in and out of the ring.” [Connecticut Post, 9/14/10]
“McMahon Has Argued The Company’s Stars Are Independent Contractors.” According to the Connecticut Post, “In response to those who have criticized WWE for not offering its wrestlers health insurance, McMahon has argued the company's stars are independent contractors.” [Connecticut Post, 9/14/10]
WWE Acknowledged That It “Employs At Any Given Time Around 350 Independent Contractors Behind The Scenes.” According to the Connecticut Post, “WWE also employs at any given time around 350 independent contractors behind the scenes, including models, photographers and film unit publicists, a company official said in an earlier interview.” [Connecticut Post, 9/14/10]
Three WWE Wrestlers Had Previously Sued Over Their “Independent Contractor” Classification. According to the Connecticut Post, “A trio of WWE wrestlers -- Christopher Klucsarits, Scott Levy and Michael Sanders -- a few years ago unsuccessfully sued the company in U. S. District Court in Connecticut for defining them as independent contractors.” [Connecticut Post, 9/14/10]
WWE Required Wrestlers To Have Health Insurance But Did Not Provide Coverage. According to SB Nation’s Cageside Seats blog, “That one site with the spyware is reporting that WWE is now requiring all wrestlers to carry health insurance. In addition, our friend Irv Muchnick has a look at the situation over at his Wrestling Babylon blog. WWE, which pays for on the job injuries, will not be paying for the coverage in any way and doesn't even appear to be setting up a group buy for to ease the burden. Since the wrestlers are officially self-employed independent contractors, they can write off the cost of the insurance as a business expense. Still, it's a burden because it probably won't be easy and they still have to pay completely out of pocket for what will be very expensive insurance thanks to their profession.” [SB Nation Cageside Seats, 5/19/11]
WWE Argued That As “Independent Contractors,” WWE Performers “Personally Responsible For Acquiring Their Own Health Insurance” But Received Other “Generous Benefits.” According to the Hartford Courant, “The company also fought back against charges that it does not provide health care to its employees. ‘All 700 full-time WWE employees have always had health insurance as well as generous benefits provided by WWE. All WWE in-ring performers, “Superstars,” also have health insurance as a requirement of their contract with WWE. In addition, WWE pays for all medical treatment related to any in-ring related injuries and associated rehabilitation costs,’ the company said. ‘Like professional golfers and tennis players or entertainers such as actors and singers, WWE performers are independent contractors and are personally responsible for acquiring their own health insurance. The average compensation for our main-roster full-time Superstar is $250,000/year and no full-time performer makes less than $100,000 easily enabling them to afford health insurance.’” [Hartford Courant via Wayback Machine, 9/12/12]
WWE Wrestlers Did Not Receive Health Coverage From The Company But Were Required “To Sign Contracts Relieving WWE Of Any Liability In Case Of Injury/Death.” According to CT News, “A spokesman for Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment just confirmed that the state is auditing the company for its use of independent contractors. Independent contractors are not considered full or part-time employees and subsequently are often considered a cheaper labor alternative because the businesses that hire them are not required to pay certain taxes or provide certain benefits. WWE uses independent contractors both in the ring and behind-the-scenes. The company’s treatment of its wrestlers, who are not provided healthcare and whom are required to sign contracts relieving WWE of any liability in case of injury/death, has come under fire now that former CEO Linda McMahon is the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.” [CT News, 9/14/10]
Wrestler Owen Hart Fell And Died During A WWE Performance In 1999. According to CNN, “Professional wrestler Owen Hart, a Canadian known as ‘Blue Blazer,’ fell 50 feet, hit his head and died when a wire holding him in the air either broke or became disconnected while he was being lowered into the ring. […]Some witnesses said the cable snapped, while others said it appeared Hart was somehow disconnected from it. They said his head snapped backward when he hit a turnbuckle, one of the padded pieces of metal that hold the ropes together in each corner of the ring. Hart was given CPR inside the ring as the ring announcer haltingly told the audience that the incident was not scripted, as professional wrestling matches openly are. The wrestler was pronounced dead at a hospital.” [CNN, 5/24/99]
McMahon Had “Personally Signed Hart’s Booking Contract” That Included A Death Clause. According to the Journal Inquirer, “McMahon three years before personally had signed Hart’s booking contract with WWE — which included a death clause — on behalf of Titan Sports Inc., a corporate precursor of the WWE for which she served as president. Patru cited remarks by McMahon’s husband in a deposition sworn in a lawsuit brought against WWE by Hart’s widow. The complaint was settled with an $18 million payment by the company.” [Journal Inquirer, 9/3/10]
The WWE “Had No Broad-Based Drug Testing Policy” Until The Death Of One Of Their Wrestlers In 2005. According to the New Haven Register, “While McMahon, 61, holds up the WWE's wellness policy as top of the line, there was a 10-year period when the WWE had no broad-based drug-testing policy, even though several wrestlers who had been linked to anabolic steroids and other drugs died during that time. It wasn't until after the death of Eddie Guerrero in 2005 that a policy was put in place that reinstated drug testing, first done between 1991 and 1996.” [New Haven Register, 6/19/10]
2009: Rep. Henry Waxman Asked For An Investigation Into Steroid Use In Professional Wrestling And Found That “Steroid Use Is Pervasive” And Companies Like The WWE “Have Not Taken Adequate Steps To Address This Problem.” According to the Times Union, “In January 2009, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, the departing chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, asked the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy to investigate steroids in professional wrestling. Waxman, following closed-door interviews by his bi-partisan staff with Linda, Vince and Stephanie McMahon, and others involved with WWE and rival Total Nonstop Action Wrestling had concluded ‘steroid use is pervasive in professional wrestling (and) the organizations involved have not taken adequate steps to address this problem.’” [Times Union, 3/3/10]
2007: Several Top WWE Stars Were Involved In An Internet Doping Scandal. According to the New York Daily News, “The WWE was rocked again today, after several of wrestling's top names emerged in the Albany district attorney's probe into a widespread Internet doping scandal. The wrestling conglomerate based in Stamford announced that it will suspend 10 of its biggest stars for violation of its wellness policy. In a list obtained exclusively by the Daily News, top wrestlers Randy Orton, Charles Haas, Jr., Adam ‘Edge’ Copeland, Robert ‘Booker T’ Huffman, Shane Helms, Mike Bucci, Anthony Carelli, John ‘Johnny Nitro’ Hennigan, Darren ‘William Regal’ Matthews, Ken ‘Mr. Kennedy’ Anderson, Eddie ‘Umaga’ Fatu, Shoichi Funaki and Chavo Guerrero were all identified as clients of Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, the site raided by Albany County and Florida law enforcement agencies in February for distributing steroids and other prescription drugs to clients who had not been examined by doctors. The investigation is part of a probe into illegal Internet drug distribution by Albany D.A. David Soares.” [New York Daily News, 8/30/07]
The WWE Faced Questions From Congress About Their Steroid Use Policies Following The Suicide Of One Of Their Wrestlers, Who Was Found With Steroids In His Home. According to Politico, “The revelations that steroids were found in the house where wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife, his son and then himself in June caught the attention of congressional investigators. The House committees that looked into steroid use in professional baseball in 2005 have asked Benoit’s employer, World Wrestling Entertainment, for information about its drug-testing policies. The WWE finds itself in the cross hairs of California Rep. Henry A. Waxman’s House Oversight Committee and Illinois Rep. Bobby L. Rush’s Energy and Commerce subcommittee, with Rush planning to hold a hearing this fall.” [Politico, 9/20/07]
1993: Vince McMahon Was Brought Up On Federal Drug Trafficking Charges For “Routinely Obtaining Anabolic Steroids” For WWE Performers And Was Ultimately Acquitted. According to Vice, “This week marks the 21st anniversary of opening arguments in the remarkable federal drug trafficking prosecution of World Wrestling Entertainment chairman Vince McMahon. Tell that to even many well-informed wrestling fans, and they'll think you'd invented it on the spot. This trial is a singular moment in the annals of sports executive history, and yet has somehow disappeared from the popular memory with uncommon speed. Wrestling has a short memory as a general rule, but there's something shocking about how fully, and how quickly, this case has vanished. In 1993, McMahon was charged by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York with routinely obtaining anabolic steroids for his stable of strongmen, and employing a shady Pennsylvania doctor with an easy hand on the prescription pad to ensure regular shipments of juice to then-WWF headquarters at ‘Titan Tower’ in Stamford, Connecticut. The trial ended in a schmozz, with a mish-mash of sloppy legal errors and underwhelming witness testimony—including that of an uncommonly subdued Hulk Hogan—securing McMahon's acquittal on all charges.” [Vice, 7/10/15]
1991: A WWE “House Doctor” Was Convicted And Sentenced To Prison For Steroid Trafficking. According to the Weekly Standard, “It wasn’t until 1988 that steroid distribution was criminalized, and 1991 that steroids were reclassified as controlled substances. Even after these changes in the law, however, wrestlers found doctors to prescribe them. One of these was a Pennsylvania physician named George Zahorian. He worked as the house doctor at many of the WWE events the McMahons put on over the years. In 1989, the FBI began investigating him for steroid trafficking. In 1991 he was convicted on 12 counts of distributing controlled substances and sent to prison. In the course of the investigation, the FBI discovered numerous Federal Express receipts from Zahorian to dozens of people in the WWE. Some of the shipments were sent directly to the company’s headquarters in Stamford. Some of them were addressed to Vince McMahon.” [Weekly Standard, 7/19/10]
Talking Points Memo Headline: “Does Linda McMahon Have A Dead Wrestler Problem?” [Talking Points Memo, 9/9/10]
Weekly Standard: “Professional Wrestlers Who Worked For The WWE Have Been Dropping Dead At A Terrifying Rate.” According to the Weekly Standard, “The problem is that over the last few decades, professional wrestlers who worked for the WWE have been dropping dead at a terrifying rate. Some of the deaths are more notable than others. In 2007, WWE star Chris Benoit killed his wife and son before committing suicide. Benoit was 40. (Steroids were found in his house.) Eddie Guerrero, another former WWE champ, was found dead in a hotel room. The cause of death was heart failure. He was 38. Bam Bam Bigelow, Mike Awesome, Crash Holly, Umaga, Yokozuna, Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith, Rick Rude, Big Boss Man, Earthquake, Curt Hennig, Hercules, Big John Studd, Road Warrior Hawk, Chris Kanyon, Andrew ‘Test’ Martin—all of these former WWE stars have died in recent years. None was older than 46. This is a partial list.” [Weekly Standard, 7/19/10]
Wrestler Chris Benoit Committed Murder-Suicide In 2007. According to the New Haven Register, “While McMahon, 61, holds up the WWE's wellness policy as top of the line, there was a 10-year period when the WWE had no broad-based drug-testing policy, even though several wrestlers who had been linked to anabolic steroids and other drugs died during that time. […] One of the most notorious wrestling-related deaths was that of Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and son before hanging himself in 2007. Reports after his death said he had 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system.” [New Haven Register, 6/19/10]
Reports After Benoit’s Death “Said He Had 10 Times The Normal Level Of Testosterone In His System.” According to the New Haven Register, “While McMahon, 61, holds up the WWE's wellness policy as top of the line, there was a 10-year period when the WWE had no broad-based drug-testing policy, even though several wrestlers who had been linked to anabolic steroids and other drugs died during that time. […] One of the most notorious wrestling-related deaths was that of Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and son before hanging himself in 2007. Reports after his death said he had 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system.” [New Haven Register, 6/19/10]
Benoit’s Father Said That “Doctors Told Me That He Had Lost The Ability To Control His Emotions” As A Result Of Repeated Head Trauma. According to the New Haven Register, “His father, Mike Benoit of Edmonton, Alberta, said his son lost control as a result of too many hits to the head, resulting in a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or boxer's dementia. Among the classic wrestling moves is hitting the opponent with a folding chair or other object or pile-driving the opponent head-first into the mat. ‘Doctors told me that he had lost the ability to control his emotions,’ Benoit said of his son. He added that ‘one of the factors in how brain damage manifests itself in most cases is drug and alcohol abuse. The human skull isn't designed to take the kind of abuse that they script into these matches,’ Benoit said.” [New Haven Register, 6/19/10]
The WWE “Had No Broad-Based Drug Testing Policy” Until The Death Of Wrestler Eddie Guerrero In 2005. According to the New Haven Register, “While McMahon, 61, holds up the WWE's wellness policy as top of the line, there was a 10-year period when the WWE had no broad-based drug-testing policy, even though several wrestlers who had been linked to anabolic steroids and other drugs died during that time. It wasn't until after the death of Eddie Guerrero in 2005 that a policy was put in place that reinstated drug testing, first done between 1991 and 1996.” [New Haven Register, 6/19/10]
Guerrero Was Found Dead Of Heart Disease, A Potential Result Of Steroid Use. According to ESPN, “The WWE instituted its current drug testing policy after the November 2005 death of Benoit's best friend, Eddie Guerrero, 38, who was found dead in a hotel room in Minneapolis. A subsequent autopsy showed heart disease. Because steroids cause the heart to work harder to pump blood to an enlarged physique, they have been associated with arterial wear and tear.” [ESPN, 7/27/07]
WWE Wrestler Lance McNaught Died Of Heart Failure In 2010. According to the CT Mirror, “The recent deaths of former WWE wrestlers, such as Lance Cade, have left McMahon on the defensive at times, though not always from Democratic tactics. McMahon's initial response to the death of Cade, whose real name was Lance McNaught, sparked an angry reaction from McNaught's father and his former tag-team partner, Chris Nowinski. Each called McMahon insensitive.” [CT Mirror via Wayback Machine, 9/7/10]
McMahon On McNaught’s Death: “I Might Have Met Him Once.” According to The Day, “Harley McNaught was planning to stay silent and grieve. Then he saw what Linda McMahon said about his dead son. McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, was asked last week about the death of McNaught's son, who wrestled for the WWE as Lance Cade and who had struggled with an addiction to painkillers before being released by the company, then dying earlier this month of heart failure. ‘I might have met him once,’ McMahon said as she insisted that the company could not be blamed for deaths of its employees outside the ring. That response has left Harley McNaught and his son's other survivors furious. ‘I've been with him on two different WWE functions where she came up to him and knew him by name,’ McNaught said in an interview from his office in San Antonio, where Lance died, aged 29, on Aug. 13. ‘She disrespected him,’ McNaught said. ‘She disrespected my family.’” [The Day, 8/26/10]
McNaught Was Previously Dropped By WWE After Entering Rehab And Had Criticized His Former Employers. According to The Day, “McNaught's death also turns the light on a wrestler who had become a vigorous critic of the McMahons and the WWE, alleging in interviews in the months before he died that he had been dismissed after taking the company up on its offer to go to rehab and saying that WWE's vaunted ‘Wellness Policy’ was a sham engineered for public relations, not the health of its employees. The company dropped him after he went through rehab and remained clean, Lance McNaught and his father both said, treating him as expendable and an embarrassment to a company that is trying to shed a reputation for steroid and prescription abuse that it gained after a scandal and trial in the 1990s and a more recent congressional investigation.” [The Day, 8/26/10]
Wrestler Marc Mero “Has Two Bad Heart Valves He Suspects Are Linked To His Own Steroid Use.” According to the New Haven Register, “‘She was the head of a company that I worked for and there was a lot of people I have wrestled with or against, 32 people who are dead,’ said Marc Mero of Orlando, Fla., who wrestled for the WWE and its competitors and who now runs a youth-motivation organization, Champion of Choices. Mero, who has two bad heart valves he suspects are linked to his own steroid use, said drugs, including stimulants and sleeping aids, are rampant in pro wrestling because ‘There's no off-season in professional wrestling. You never let your body recover.’” [New Haven Register, 6/19/10]
The WWE Was Sued By Their Former Wrestlers Over Head Injuries. According to the Associated Press, “More than 50 former professional wrestlers sued World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., saying the company is responsible for repeated head trauma including concussions they suffered in the ring that led to long-term neurological damage. Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka, Joseph ‘Road Warrior Animal’ Laurinaitis and Paul ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Orndorff are among the plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court in Connecticut. The lawsuit also names WWE chairman Vince McMahon as a defendant. Stamford-based WWE denies the allegations. ‘WWE placed corporate gain over its wrestlers' health, safety, and financial security, choosing to leave the plaintiffs severely injured and with no recourse to treat their damaged minds and bodies,’ according to the lawsuit, which does not say how much money the former wrestlers are seeking. The plaintiffs say they suffered concussions and other head trauma that resulted in long-term brain damage.” [Associated Press via Denver Post, 7/19/16]
“The Complaint Alleges That The Former Wrestlers Suffer From Long-Term Brain Damage And The Development Of…The Alzheimer’s-Like Neurodegenerative Disease Associated With Repeated Hits To The Head.” According to CNN, “More than 50 former wrestlers filed a class action lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment on Monday. The complaint alleges that the former wrestlers suffer from long-term brain damage and the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE, the Alzheimer's-like neurodegenerative disease associated with repeated hits to the head.” [CNN, 7/20/16]
WWE “Collected Nearly $3 Million In State Tax Credits…Most Of Which Were Issued Just Eight Weeks Before” McMahon Left WWE To Run For Office. According to the Journal Inquirer, “World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., the professional wrestling empire formerly led by Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Linda E. McMahon, has collected nearly $3 million in state tax credits, most of which were issued just eight weeks before McMahon resigned last month to run for office, state records show. Moreover, a top official at the agency that administers the state’s digital and media tax-credit program says it’s poised to hand out more of the controversial subsidies to the company, which McMahon and her husband still control and where the candidate continues to serve on the board of directors.” [Journal Inquirer, 10/2/09]
WWE “Made Aggressive Use Of Industry Tax Credits…Even As It Laid Off Workers, And Smothered Even The Slightest Unionization Efforts.” According to Deadspin, “WWE has made aggressive use of industry tax credits designed to create jobs even as it laid off workers, and smothered even the slightest unionization efforts. Her company has obtained a de facto monopoly in the pro wrestling business through a ruthless campaign of crushing, suing, and pricing out competitors, many of them actual small businesses.” [Deadspin, 12/7/16]
WWE Was The “Fourth-Biggest Recipient Of State Tax Credits” In 2009. According to the Hartford Courant, “The entertainment company co-founded by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon, an aggressive champion of smaller government, is the fourth-biggest recipient of state film tax credits among 78 production firms to get them. Through mid-August, the state had awarded nearly $10 million in film tax credits to Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., an accounting provided by the state shows. The company received 14 disbursements, all in 2009, for productions that included ‘Smackdown,’ ‘RAW’ and ‘The WWE Experience,’ according to records provided by the state Department of Economic and Community Development. It oversees the state film office.” [Hartford Courant, 10/1/10]
WWE Received The Tax Credits In A Year That “The Company Laid Off About 10 Percent Of Its Global Workforce.” According to the Hartford Courant, “In 2009, the year that WWE received all $9.8 million in film tax credits, the company laid off about 10 percent of its global workforce, or about 60 workers. WWE received five film tax credit disbursements in July 2009 and nine in December 2009.” [Hartford Courant, 10/1/10]
WWE Received $11,930,817 In Tax Credits From Connecticut In 2015. According to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker, WWE received $11,930,817 in tax credits from Connecticut in 2015. [SubsidyTracker.GoodJobsFirst.org, accessed 12/8/16]
WWE Received $15,512,582 In Tax Credits From Connecticut In 2014. According to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker, WWE received $15,512,582 in tax credits from Connecticut in 2014. [SubsidyTracker.GoodJobsFirst.org, accessed 12/8/16]
WWE Received $147,261 In Tax Credits From North Carolina In 2014. According to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker, WWE received $147,261 in tax credits from North Carolina in 2014. [SubsidyTracker.GoodJobsFirst.org, accessed 12/8/16]
WWE Received $10,679,930 In Tax Credits From Connecticut In 2013. According to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker, WWE received $10,679,930 in tax credits from Connecticut in 2013. [SubsidyTracker.GoodJobsFirst.org, accessed 12/8/16]
WWE Received $7,276,263 In Tax Credits From Connecticut In 2012. According to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker, WWE received $7,276,263 in tax credits from Connecticut in 2012. [SubsidyTracker.GoodJobsFirst.org, accessed 12/8/16]
WWE Received $7,173,772 In Tax Credits From Connecticut In 2011. According to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker, WWE received $7,173,772 in tax credits from Connecticut in 2011. [SubsidyTracker.GoodJobsFirst.org, accessed 12/8/16]
WWE Received $1,170,140 In Tax Credits From Louisiana In 2011. According to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker, WWE received $1,170,140 in tax credits from Louisiana in 2011. [SubsidyTracker.GoodJobsFirst.org, accessed 12/8/16]
WWE Received $1,295,076 In Tax Credits From New Mexico In 2011. According to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker, WWE received $1,295,076 in tax credits from New Mexico in 2011. [SubsidyTracker.GoodJobsFirst.org, accessed 12/8/16]
WWE Received $14,891,321 In Tax Credits From Connecticut In 2010. According to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker, WWE received $14,891,321 in tax credits from Connecticut in 2010. [SubsidyTracker.GoodJobsFirst.org, accessed 12/9/16]
WWE Received $8,298,948 In Tax Credits From Louisiana In 2010. According to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker, WWE received $8,298,948 in tax credits from Louisiana in 2010. [SubsidyTracker.GoodJobsFirst.org, accessed 12/9/16]
Connecticut Post Headline: “WWE Spent $1M On ‘Educating’ Politicians In Past Decade.” [Connecticut Post, 4/8/10]
WWE Spent Over $1 Million On Federal Lobbying Between 2001 And 2010. According to the Connecticut Post, “Since 2001, McMahon's family business, Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment, spent just over $1 million lobbying the House, Senate and federal agencies, according to disclosure forms filed with Congress.” [Connecticut Post, 4/8/10]
McMahon’s Spokesperson Ed Patru Argued “The Distinction Between Lobbying To Educate Lawmakers And The Kind Of Special-Interest Ties She Is Campaigning Against.” According to the Connecticut Post, “McMahon spokesman Ed Patru drew a distinction between lobbying to educate lawmakers and the kind of special-interest ties she is campaigning against. ‘The problem with Washington isn't that companies, industries and causes are educating Congress on the issues,’ he said. ‘The problem arises when politicians allow special interests -- and special interest cash, more specifically -- to dictate how they vote and the positions they take.’” [Connecticut Post, 4/8/10]
WWE Spent $340,000, Their Largest Lobbying Expenditure, On A Washington DC Lobbying Firm, “To Help The WWE Navigate A Congressional Investigation Of Steroid Use.” According to the Connecticut Post, “The biggest chunk of change -- $340,000 -- was delivered to Washington lobbying firm K&L Gates in 2007 and 2008, to help the WWE navigate a congressional investigation of steroid use in sports.” [Connecticut Post, 4/8/10]
McMahon “Donated $6 Million In August And September” 2016 To A Pro-Trump Super PAC. According to CNN, “McMahon is the co-founder of the professional wrestling franchise WWE along with her husband, Vince McMahon, and twice a former Republican Senate candidate from Connecticut. She stepped down from her duties at WWE in 2009 and ran two failed bids for the Senate in 2010 and 2012. She's donated $6 million in August and September to Rebuilding America Now, a super PAC that supported Trump's presidential bid.” [CNN, 12/7/16]
McMahon Became A Supporter Of Trump After The Primary And Said He Was “An Incredibly Loyal, Loyal Friend.” According to CNN, “After the primaries, McMahon told the Associated Press that even though Trump wasn't her first choice for the nomination, she became a strong supporter of the business mogul. ‘Once you're his friend, he is loyal to the end,’ she said. ‘He's an incredibly loyal, loyal friend.’” [CNN, 12/7/16]
McMahon Criticized Trump During The Republican Primary, Calling His Comments About Women “Deplorable.” According to CNN, “McMahon wasn't always a fan. During the Republican primary, she told Yahoo's Katie Couric that she was offended by Trump's comments about women, calling them ‘deplorable.’ ‘He's not helping, certainly, to put women in the best light,’ McMahon said. ‘Maybe he regrets them, maybe he doesn't. I realize he punches hard when he punches back, but that's just over the top.’” [CNN, 12/7/16]
McMahon Became A Significant Republican Donor After Her Senate Bids. According to Politico, “After dropping $100 million trying unsuccessfully to get herself elected to the Senate, wrestling executive Linda McMahon is trying a new experiment: spending big bucks on other people’s campaigns. McMahon, whose status as the founder of the WWE pro wrestling franchise made her an irresistible subject for the national media and a rich political target for her Democratic opponents, has reemerged in the world of Republican high-dollar fundraising. Having made hundreds of millions of dollars heading an overwhelmingly male entertainment operation, McMahon is now a rare new female player in the male-dominated world of billionaire political kingpins.” [Politico, 5/22/14]
By May 2014, McMahon Had “Contributed About $1 Million To Federal Candidates, Party Committees And Super PACs.” According to Politico, “In 2014, McMahon and her husband, WWE CEO Vince McMahon, have already contributed about $1 million to federal candidates, party committees and super PACs, including Karl Rove’s American Crossroads, the research and tracking group America Rising and TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts’ group Ending Spending, according to a review of public finance records.” [Politico, 5/22/14]
The McMahons Were “The Biggest Outside Donors” To The Trump Foundation, Contributing $5 Million Between 2007 And 2009. According to Forbes, “Between 2007 and 2009, Vince and Linda McMahon donated $5 million to the Donald J. Trump Foundation, making the couple the biggest outside donors to his foundation, according to Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold.” [Forbes, 12/7/16]
“Trump Has Appeared On Wrestling Shows And Is A Member Of The WWE Hall Of Fame.” According to USA Today, “Trump has appeared on wrestling shows and is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.” [USA Today, 12/7/16]
Two WWE Tournaments Were Held At Trump Plaza In Atlantic City In 1988 And 1989. According to Forbes, “The connections between Trump and Linda and Vince McMahon run deep. In 1988 and 1989, WWE's WrestleMania IV and WrestleMania V tournaments were held at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey.” [Forbes, 12/7/16]
Trump And Vince McMahon “Faced Off In A ‘Battle Of Billionaires’” In 2007 That Culminating In Trump Shaving McMahon’s Head. According to Forbes, “At WrestleMania 23 in 2007, Trump and McMahon faced off in a ‘Battle of Billionaires.’ After McMahon's representative lost the fight, Trump shaved McMahon's hair in the ring (there's a video of the event here). Trump is now a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.” [Forbes, 12/7/16]
McMahon Ran For The U.S. Senate Twice, “Dishing Out Close To $100 Million For Two Senate Races Over…Three Years.” According to the New York Times, “Ms. McMahon may or may not get to influence job creation as a senator. But she has already made an impact on the Connecticut economy by dishing out close to $100 million for two Senate races over the past three years, far more than anyone has ever spent of their own money to win any federal seat.” [New York Times, 11/2/12]
McMahon Ran In 2010 Against Richard Blumenthal, Spending “Almost $50 Million.” According to the New York Times, “The biggest recipient thus far has been Scott Howell & Company, a Texas media consulting company, which received $24.7 million, mostly for advertising in her unsuccessful 2010 race against Richard Blumenthal, according to her campaign finance disclosure reports. […] Ms. McMahon spent almost $50 million, nearly all of it her own, in her 2010 race.” [New York Times, 11/2/12]
Connecticut Post Editorial: If McMahon Refuses To “Divulge Her Opinion” On Issues Like Social Security And Medicare “How Are Voters Supposed To Make An Informed Decision”? According to an editorial by the Connecticut Post, “On the surface, Linda McMahon's urge to ‘take the politics out’ of discussions about key issues like Medicare and Social Security makes sense. It would be nice to have reasoned, thoughtful debates about such important topics. In reality, though, it's a dodge. McMahon won't give her opinion on raising the eligibility age for entitlements, means testing or raising the exemption on payroll taxes. She says these are issues that should be debated in a legislative session, not on a campaign trail. But how are voters supposed to make an informed decision if she won't divulge her opinion? Are they simply supposed to trust her? Or does she have opinions she thinks voters would find unappealing?” [Editorial – Connecticut Post, 9/20/10]
McMahon Ran In 2012 Against Chris Murphy. According to Bloomberg, “As the former chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment, Linda McMahon knows drama. But even she didn’t anticipate the furor over her latest bid to win a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut, which she lost to Democrat Chris Murphy. It was audacious, coming just two years after losing to another Democrat in a state where only one-fifth of voters are registered Republicans.” [Bloomberg, 11/9/12]
McMahon Continued Running A “Barrage” Of Attack Ads Against Murphy In The Immediate Aftermath Of Hurricane Sandy. According to the Connecticut Post, “But both of McMahon's Senate bids included unprecedented amounts of advertising for a Connecticut race aimed at disqualifying her opponents. In McMahon's world, Murphy was an irresponsible deadbeat who missed mortgage and tax payments, received a sweetheart interest rate from a bank and shirked his congressional responsibilities while enjoying the job's perks. The barrage did not even let up following Hurricane Sandy, leading NBC News anchor Brian Williams during one broadcast to comment, ‘In this part of the country those who do have television are seeing attack ads from a woman named Linda McMahon who's running for Senate up in Connecticut airing like nothing had changed, juxtaposed against the damage. It's just a very strange time.’” [Connecticut Post, 11/10/12]
McMahon Has Referred To Herself As A “Moderate” Republican. According to an interview with Linda McMahon for Bloomberg, “[BLOOMBERG:] You must have gone into this knowing it would be tough to win. [MCMAHON:] It always is a battle for a Republican in Connecticut, even one who’s a moderate like I am, and one who’s an independent thinker. We had a president who had strong coattails. I had a message that did resonate with a good number of people in the state, but the other guy got more votes.” [Bloomberg, 11/9/12]
McMahon Opposed The Employee Free Choice Act. According to Linda McMahon’s 2010 Senate campaign website, “I'm opposed to the Employee Free Choice Act, or Card Check, because I believe the private ballot must be protected and I'm opposed to giving government bureaucrats control of the workplace. Workers should continue to have the protection of a secret ballot. It prevents unions from intimidating workers, and it ensures a fair outcome for both workers and employers. If this legislation were to pass, it has been estimated that it would reduce employment opportunities by over 750,000 potential jobs in the economy within two years.” [Linda2010.com/Issues via Wayback Machine, accessed 12/9/16]
McMahon Said That She Supported Reforms To Social Security, Including Raising The Retirement Age, Means-Testing Benefits, And Adding A “Sunset Provision” To The Social Security Act. According to the Huffington Post, “In little-noticed remarks at a Tea Party town hall meeting earlier this year, Republican Connecticut Senate candidate Linda McMahon proposed introducing a ‘sunset provision’ into the Social Security Act. McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, has consistently dodged questions about cutting government entitlement programs in her two Senate runs. Speaking before a group of Tea Party supporters in Waterford, Conn. on April 20, however, McMahon said she would consider making major changes to Social Security, from raising the retirement age to means-testing benefits. She also proposed introducing a “sunset provision” — the legislative term for putting an expiration date on a law unless it is renewed. It’s unclear what McMahon meant when she spoke about a ‘sunset provision’ for Social Security, and her campaign did not directly address the word in a statement.” [Huffington Post, 9/26/12]
Connecticut Post Editorial: McMahon Said That Social Security And Medicare “Are Facing ‘Imminent Insolvency,’ Without A Shred Of Data To Back Her Claim.” According to an editorial by the Connecticut Post, “Her opponent, Richard Blumenthal, at least offers his views. And he presents a clearer picture on the status of entitlements, pointing out that Social Security and Medicare are viable in the near-term. McMahon, either out of fear-mongering or ignorance, says both programs are facing ‘imminent insolvency,’ without a shred of data to back her claim. (The latest official numbers show Medicare fully funded through 2029, and Social Security even longer.) Critics have long decried McMahon's lack of specifics on key topics, and this is Exhibit A.” [Editorial – Connecticut Post, 9/20/10]
McMahon Said That She Didn’t Go Into Details On Her Social Security or Medicare Plans Because “They Get Demagogued.” According to the Hartford Courant, “During the candidates' final debate on Thursday, Murphy criticized McMahon for preferring generalities over specifics and hiding her ‘right-wing Republican plans’ on the campaign trail. McMahon responded that she avoids delving into details because ‘they get demagogued.’ Asked afterward who would be doing the demagoguing, McMahon blamed the press corps. ‘Thanks to all you folks in the media, you're the ones who primarily do it and bash any suggestions that might be made to improve either Social Security [or] Medicare,’ she told a group of reporters.” [Hartford Courant, 10/23/12]
McMahon Opposed The Stimulus. According to Linda McMahon’s 2010 Senate campaign website, “Washington got the stimulus dead wrong. In a matter of months, Washington spent trillions of dollars and ran it all through government bureaucracy. Instead of creating new private sector jobs, all we got was more job losses, bigger government and more debt — more than $12 trillion in federal debt that will cause long-term harm to the economy. I believe government's role in economic recovery must be to help create an environment where small businesses can succeed and grow. Small businesses have historically created 70% of new jobs — jobs that are self-sustaining and have a multiplier effect. Government jobs don't do that. To grow, small businesses need a reduced tax burden and predictability so that they can plan and make investments. The economy is trying to recover, but Washington won't let it. It is spending too much and creating tax and regulatory uncertainty that is paralyzing small businesses and stifling job creation.” [Linda2010.com/Issues via Wayback Machine, accessed 12/9/16]
McMahon Referred To TARP As A “Slush Fund” And Called For It To Be “Shut Down.” According to Linda McMahon’s 2010 Senate campaign website, “Most economists and many Republicans, including myself, considered the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) necessary because the economy was on the brink of collapse and doing nothing would have likely led to a complete financial meltdown. It helped stop economic panic, and now, all of that money must be, and is being, paid back by the banks as was intended. But I opposed Washington's decision to use the unspent portion of emergency TARP funds as an all-purpose federal slush fund. TARP has morphed into a $700 billion slush fund that went far beyond the financial system. Politicians used it to bail out auto companies (GM and Chrysler) and insurance firms (AIG) while financing mortgage modifications. It is time we immediately shut down TARP and use all unspent or paid-back portions of the program to pay down the debt. I oppose the use of TARP funds for public programs, subsidies and bailouts.” [Linda2010.com/Issues via Wayback Machine, accessed 12/9/16]
McMahon Supported Increased Offshore Drilling. According to Linda McMahon’s 2010 Senate campaign website, “I recognize the fundamental importance of protecting the environment, and I am committed to greater environmental sustainability, cleaner air, energy efficiency and conservation. Because of this, I support efforts to develop and expand alternatives and renewable forms of energy including solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and natural gas. I believe dependence on foreign oil supplies is unsustainable in the long-term, and I believe it creates national security risks. I support environmentally responsible domestic oil exploration offshore, but I believe states should decide whether to allow drilling in their waters.” [Linda2010.com/Issues via Wayback Machine, accessed 12/9/16]
McMahon Opposed Cap And Trade Legislation. According to Linda McMahon’s 2010 Senate campaign website, “I oppose cap-and-trade legislation because it will increase energy costs and Connecticut already pays the highest electricity rates in the continental U.S. Moreover, multiple studies report that a CO2 reduction would cost an average household $455-5,000 a year. I oppose proposals that will hurt families and businesses that are already having a difficult time paying the bills. Additionally, some of the world’s biggest polluters (i.e. China, India and Russia) remain unregulated. We should not put American businesses at a competitive disadvantage to those in developing countries.” [Linda2010.com/Issues via Wayback Machine, accessed 12/9/16]
McMahon Opposed The Proposed Health Care Reform Legislation While Running For Senate In 2010. According to Linda McMahon’s 2010 Senate campaign website, “I believe we must reform our health care system so that all Americans have access to quality and affordable coverage, but the Senate Health Care bill is the wrong approach. It fails to reduce costs, and real reform must address the problem of rising costs, which have more than doubled over the last ten years. The legislation was crafted in a flawed process: negotiated in secret, without bi-partisan buy-in and without real debate. Not surprisingly, that flawed process produced a bad result: the legislation fails to reduce costs, raises taxes on small businesses, raises premiums on working families, reduces the quality of care, cuts Medicare on Connecticut's seniors, and puts government bureaucrats between doctors and patients. […]I support efforts to expand coverage by improving the private market system. Every American should be able to choose the health care plan that best meets his or her needs. And the doctor-patient relationship must be protected. Government-run health care won't do that.” [Linda2010.com/Issues via Wayback Machine, accessed 12/9/16]
Linda And Vince McMahon “Filed For Bankruptcy In 1976 After Amassing…About $1 Million In Debt.” According to the Connecticut Post, “Linda and Vince McMahon's personal bankruptcy, a key element in the rags-to-riches tale propelling her surging candidacy for the U.S. Senate, is a mystery the candidate herself has steadfastly refused to clarify. But tax records obtained by Hearst Connecticut Newspapers and statements provided by the campaign offer voters for the first time a glimpse of the McMahons' financial troubles. The couple filed for personal bankruptcy in 1976 after amassing, according to the campaign, about $1 million in debt.” [Connecticut Post, 10/1/10]
As Of 2010 It Was “Unclear Whether All Her Creditors Were Ever Paid.” According to the Connecticut Post, “While the McMahons are now wealthy, with an estimated net worth of up to $370 million, it's unclear whether all her creditors were ever paid. A campaign spokesman said recently it was ‘impossible’ to pay creditors at the time of the bankruptcy filing. The campaign declined to say whether all of the debts were paid or if the McMahons felt a moral obligation to make good on those bills once their business fortunes took a dramatic upswing in the early 1980s. No federal bankruptcy records on the matter can be located -- including documents that would identify the McMahons' creditors and how much they were owed. Linda McMahon has declined requests for an interview on the subject, and neither she nor her campaign has released any records pertaining to the bankruptcy.” [Connecticut Post, 10/1/10]
2012: McMahon Announced She Would “Voluntarily Repay All Private Individual Creditors” Related To Her 1976 Bankruptcy. According to the CT Mirror, “The U.S. Senate campaign of Republican Linda McMahon moved swiftly Thursday to neutralize her 1976 bankruptcy as a campaign issue, announcing she and her husband, Vince McMahon, will voluntarily repay all private individual creditors.” [CT Mirror, 9/20/12]
“McMahon Had Previously Said She Had No Paperwork From The Bankruptcy, But Documents Obtained…Found Records Detailing $1 Million In Debt Owed To 26 Creditors.” According to CBS New York, “U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon says she and her husband will repay private creditors involved in their 1976 bankruptcy. […]McMahon had previously said she had no paperwork from the bankruptcy, but documents obtained by The Day of New London this week found records detailing $1 million in debt owed to 26 creditors. The McMahons sought protection in April 1976, three months after the Connecticut Bank and Trust Co. foreclosed on their West Hartford home, on which they owned $133,167. The house was auctioned for $147,500 in October 1976.” [CBS New York, 9/21/12]
McMahon Had “Used The Narrative Of Rising Out Of Bankruptcy…As A Part Of Her Campaign.” According to CBS New York, “McMahon, a Republican, has used the narrative of rising out of bankruptcy to become the successful CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment as a part of her campaign.” [CBS New York, 9/21/12]
2001: Vince McMahon Said In An Interview That The Bankruptcy “Happened After Vince ‘Made His First Fortune.’” According to The Day, “Vince McMahon spoke about the couple's bankruptcy experience in a 2001 interview with Playboy Magazine. The interviewer noted how the bankruptcy happened after Vince ‘made his first fortune.’ ‘It was visions of sugarplums,’ Vince McMahon told the magazine. ‘It was, “Look how successful I am! I guess I really am somebody.” I got involved with people who weren't that bright and let them tell me that I needed tax shelters. There was a construction company, a horse farm, a cement plant, and it all went belly-up. I felt bad about the bankruptcy. I wanted to pay what I owed, but there were other people involved, and finally the banks wrote it all off.’” [The Day, 9/18/12]
The McMahons Had $142,763 In Unpaid Federal Taxes. According to the Connecticut Post, “The McMahons also had unpaid federal taxes over five straight years that amounted to $142,763.” [Connecticut Post, 10/1/10]