WWE Threatens the Journal Inquirer with Libel Lawsuit

U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon’s wrestling empire on Friday threatened the Journal Inquirer with a libel lawsuit because of the May 21 column by Managing Editor Chris Powell, which observed that the candidate’s great wealth "derived from the business of violence, pornography, and general raunch." (See http://www.journalinquirer.com/articles/2012/05/25/chris_powell/doc4fba49b1ed31d736446549.txt)

The threat came in a letter written by World Wrestling Entertainment Vice President Brian Flinn and sent to news organizations throughout the state as well as to the JI.

"This is now at least the second time you have made false statements that damage our corporate reputation, and the second time you have stated that WWE is involved in pornography," Flinn wrote to Powell. "WWE programming, like Hollywood movies and Broadway shows, is an exciting blend of action, characters, and fictional storylines of good versus evil entertaining millions every week."

Flinn demanded a retraction from the JI by June 4, or else "we will seek legal and all available remedies."



Powell’s column did not mention WWE, which is based in Stamford. But answering Flinn by email the editor asked if WWE wanted the letter published in the newspaper and if lawsuit depositions — preparatory interrogations of witnesses — could be undertaken before the Republican Senate primary Aug. 14, adding that he was eager to meet "Trish," the shapely actress featured in an infamous WWE program in which McMahon’s husband, Vince, instructs her to undress down to her bra and panties, kneel in the wrestling ring, and bark like a dog in front of an audience of thousands. She complies.

Flinn did not immediately reply.

The McMahon campaign this week responded angrily to similar criticism from a candidate in the Democratic primary for senator, former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who said, "I’ll be damned if I let someone who sells sex and violence and pornography for a living be our next U.S. senator." Bysiewicz, the McMahon campaign said, was being "dishonest and disingenuous" because, as secretary, she had participated in WWE’s voter registration campaigns. But the McMahon campaign did not threaten Bysiewicz with a libel lawsuit.

Linda McMahon, who won the Republican nomination for senator two years ago but ran next to last on her party’s state ticket and was badly defeated by Democrat Richard Blumenthal, has acknowledged that WWE’s programming once was much more provocative than it is now. The Internet video site YouTube carries many excerpts from WWE programs showing women undressed and in sexual positions. The programs were issues in the Senate election two years ago and, by distributing its libel lawsuit threat throughout Connecticut’s news media, the McMahon campaign aims to prevent them from being mentioned this year.

McMahon is being challenged in the Republican primary by former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays.

source: journalinquirer.com