According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Vince McMahon paid millions of dollars to Donald Trump's foundation.
McMahon retired as CEO of the company after being accused of sexual harassment. The investigation by the board into the matter is complete, according to the company.
The majority of the money went to women who accused McMahon of sexual harassment, but another $5 million was used for unrelated reasons.
The $5 million was donated to the Donald J. Trump Foundation. The donations were given because of Trump's appearances on television.
A request for comment was not returned by the wrestling organization.
Trump dissolved this foundation as part of a settlement with the New York state attorney general's office in 2018, when a lawsuit alleged Trump had used the charity's funds for his 2016 presidential campaign to pay legal settlements and promote his business
Less than a month ago, the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors launched probes into McMahon's payments to settle allegations of sexual harassment.
An attorney for World Wrestling Entertainment told the WSJ that the contributions should have been categorized as business expenses because McMahon was a principal shareholder.
The first appearance resulted in a $1 million fee for Trump and a personal contribution from the McMahon's of $4 million to his foundation. McMahon and his wife donated $1 million to the foundation after Trump's second appearance.
The company said in its security filing this month that the payments came directly from McMahon.
Despite leaving the company, Vince McMahon remains the top shareholder. He turned the comapny into a global powerhouse after buying it from his father. McMahon's daughter is working with an executive.
Linda McMahon was the small business administration chief. The man who hosted two Wrestlemania events in Atlantic City in the 1980s is in the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame.
You can read the full report from The Wall Street Journal.
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