Trump’s Pick For Education Secretary Accused of ‘Enabling Sexual Abuse of Children’
A recent lawsuit accuses Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Linda McMahon, of “enabling sexual abuse of children” during the early 1980s at the WWE.
She is accused, along with her estranged husband Vince McMahon, of knowingly allowing employee Melvin Phillips Jr. to sexually exploit children while serving in the WWE as a ringside announcer. The lawsuit also blames WWE and TKO Group Holdings, according to CNN.
During her time at WWE, McMahon served as CEO and led the company’s transition from an entertainment company to a publicly traded media corporation. She resigned from the WWE in 2009 to run for the U.S. Senate.
McMahon, who currently co-chairs Trump’s transition team, previously served in the first Trump White House, where she oversaw the Small Business Administration.
The suit was filed to a Maryland court in October on behalf of five anonymous victims who claim they were between the ages of 13-15 when Phillips abused them.
“Phillips lured and manipulated the young boys with promises of meeting famous wrestlers and attending the highly popular wrestling shows, experiences that were otherwise unattainable for these kids,” the lawsuit claims, according to CNN. “(The McMahons, WWE, and TKO Holdings) allowed Phillips and others to engage in, and foster, the WWE’s rampant culture of sexual abuse.”
The lawsuit claims that Phillips recruited children to work as “ring boys” responsible for helping him take down and set up rings at wrestling events. However, the filing states Phillips used the position to sexually exploit the children and even claims the WWE employee did so in front of company executives and wrestlers in the locker room area.
McMahon’s attorney, Laura Brevetti, said the allegations were untrue.
“This civil lawsuit based upon thirty-plus year-old allegations is filled with scurrilous lies, exaggerations and misrepresentations regarding Linda McMahon,” Brevetti said in a statement to CNN. “Ms. McMahon will vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit and without doubt ultimately succeed.”
Watch the clip above via CNN.
