The Day of New London: Linda McMahon tipped off steroid doc

The Day’s Ted Mann has an explosive story online tonight: Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon tipped off doctor George T. Zahorian that the U.S. Department of Justice might be about to launch an investigation.

Mann obtained a 1989 memo from McMahon to a World Wrestling Federation executive. “Although you and I discussed before about continuing to have Zahorian at our events as the doctor on call, I think that is now not a good idea,” McMahon wrote. “Vince agreed, and would like for you to call Zahorian and to tell him not to come to any more of our events and to also clue him in on any action that the Justice Department is thinking of taking.”


McMahon told Mann that she doesn’t “pretend to remember to go back, to revisit all the aspects of that case.”

“It has been tried, acquitted and done with, and WWE has evolved its total health and wellness policy over the years, and I’m sure will continue to evolve,” she said.

Mann asked her if the decision to notify Zahorian had led him to destroy records that might provided investigators documents on the sale of steroids to the company’s wrestlers. 

“McMahon’s reply was curt,” Mann wrote.

“I can’t speak to any of that,” she said. “I have no idea.”

Mann also interviewed Dave Meltzer, who writes the respected Wrestling Observer newsletter. He said McMahon’s decision to tip off Zahorian may have impacted the investigation.

“There was nothing to get on them, because of what happened,” Meltzer told Mann. “My thought was always if Linda was not tipped off and Zahorian was not tipped off … and all these wrestlers’ files come up, and all these names come up … At that point I think it would have been a very, very strong case.”