New details have emerged ahead of the upcoming WWE shareholder trial involving Vince McMahon and Nick Khan, including allegations tied to deleted Signal messages and internal discussions surrounding WWE’s merger with UFC to form TKO Group Holdings.
According to the latest court filings, courtesy of POST Wrestling, Delaware Judge Kathaleen McCormick Laster ordered sanctions against Vince McMahon and Nick Khan, shifting the burden of proof to the defendants regarding five disputed facts in the case. The ruling means McMahon and Khan must now disprove those claims through “clear and convincing evidence,” a significantly higher legal standard.
The filings also revealed a voice memo from Ari Emanuel discussing potential indemnification for McMahon amid government investigations. Emanuel allegedly told McMahon that:
“Everybody at the DOJ is a former Latham lawyer,” and added, “yes, we can indemnify you and we will.” Emanuel later denied that McMahon was ultimately indemnified.
A major focus of the ruling concerned Signal auto-delete settings allegedly being repeatedly changed at key moments tied to federal investigations and WWE board discussions. Court documents outlined multiple instances where Khan, McMahon, and others adjusted disappearing-message settings after major developments tied to WWE’s sale process.
Filings Against Vince McMahon & Nick Khan Also Referenced Coded Messages Between The Pair
The filings also referenced a February 2023 text exchange between Vince McMahon and Nick Khan that included the word “Langis,” which is “Signal” spelled backwards. Judge Laster reportedly described parts of both men’s deposition testimony regarding the exchange as “notably strained.”
The ruling does not determine liability ahead of trial, which is currently scheduled to begin June 8.
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