Entering into politics is not an easy game for Senatoriable Linda McMahon, the former chief executive of the world Wrestling Entertainment or WWE. She is dragged into issues which were already settled in the past and the steroid controversies will never die as long as the nomination is not yet over. The latest issue is the alleged interoffice memo that she wrote interfering with the federal investigation 2 decades ago. It was even sensationalized when the alleged source of information was from a federal prosecutor handling the case. This news may just be politically motivated to affect the candidacy of McMahon or this may also confirm how the WWE allowed the use of steroids in professional wrestling and protected those who will be affected by the investigation.

The confidential memo, which is now accessible to the public, states that Linda McMahon ordered a WWW employee to inform the doctor prescribing illegal anabolic steroids to wrestlers that he was under investigation. In the interoffice memorandum dated Dec. 1, 1989, McMahon wrote to Pat Patterson, a former wrestler, to distance the company from Dr Zahorian, the WWE doctor who is the center of federal investigation. “Although you and I discussed before about continuing to have Zahorian act at our events as the doctor on call, I think that is now not a good idea. Vince agreed, and would like for you to call Zahorian 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,” said McMahon.

During the trial of Dr Zahorian, it was also revealed that a certain Pat Patterson called him that they were being told in Washington D.C. that the wrestlers were being investigated. The doctor acted immediately and sent to his lawyer valuable documents related to his steroid prescriptions. Nevertheless, Dr. Zahorian was still convicted for 36 months imprisonment in 1991 for illegally distributing steroids. The prosecution charged him with 12 counts of distributing controlled substances. Some of the wrestlers who were found out getting steroids from the doctor were Hulk Hogan and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Vince Mcmahon who was also charge in 1994 with steroid conspiracy was later acquitted.

In the report of The Day, the prosecutor who allegedly supplied information to the McMahons is former prosecutor James J. West. He was the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District in Pennsylvania in 1989. Although the official was unnamed in McMahon’s memo, a spokesperson from the WWE confirmed to the news agency that it was indeed the former prosecutor who alerted them of the on-going investigation against the doctor, wrestlers and the McMahons. West was also the leading prosecutor on the said steroid probe.

James West already issued a statement denying that he was the source of the information. He categorically denied that he alerted the attorneys of the WWF that Dr Zahorian was under investigation especially that the alleged tip-off occurred months before the feds finished conducting controlled purchases of steroids from the doctor. “Absolutely nothing like that would have occurred,” said West.

He also argued that it would not be possible that it was from a fundraising activity where he allegedly shared the information. Since he was an appointed federal official, he was barred in attending such gathering especially if it is a political event. Since Dr Zahorian was arrested March 27, 1990, the prosecutor would not provide any information before that date as what allege in the memo. “Not at that point in time. When it would have come out is when the World Wrestling Federation would have been made knowledgeable by their own members, when subpoenas were being issued,” West added.

Dr. George Zahorian, an urologist, is now practicing medicine in the Harrisburg area. He declined to comment on this issue. “That is past issue I’m not going to comment on,” he said.

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