Ring Boy Attorney Speculates On Where Vince McMahon Lawsuits, Investigation Might Lead
Legal problems are likely to plague Vince McMahon for the rest of his days, with the federal government's ongoing investigation into sex trafficking allegations, and now new issues related to past misconduct. On October 23, McMahon and his wife Linda were accused of negligence in a new lawsuit stemming from alleged incidents that took place in the '80s involving ring announcer Mel Phillips and several underage ring boys. Greg Gutzler, the attorney representing the five unnamed ring boys, appeared on "Pollock and Thurston" and said that the existence of multiple lawsuits of this degree could lead to charges under the federal RICO (Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act.
"Generally speaking, when you have two or more acts like this ... the government often brings RICO charges," Gutzler said. He added that the "floodgates" may soon open, with additional witnesses and victims coming forward. "The truth comes out, and people want to get on the side of the right thing." Gutzler also said that non-disclosure agreements, which are popular in McMahon's world, will not be a factor in this case, since minors cannot sign legally binding agreements of that nature.
Regarding the timing of the case, Gutzler said it was due to the social climate shift relating to the topic of sexual abuse. He also acknowledged that his clients felt empowered by portions of Netflix's six-part docuseries "Mr. McMahon," which shined new light on Mel Phillips' behavior and McMahon's knowledge of it. Jessica Rosenberg, McMahon's legal counsel, issued a somewhat dismissive statement essentially blaming columnist Phil Mushnick for all the stress he's caused. She criticized Mushnick's role in bringing these "untrue and unfounded" allegations to light, but Gutzler issued a statement of his own, saying that much of his lawsuit is based on facts unrelated to Mushnick.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Pollock and Thurston" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.