ESPN.com is reporting that two congressmen have requested that Vince McMahon turn over records pertaining to WWE’s drug testing policies. According to the web site, in a three-page letter dated today, Rep. Henry Waxman, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Tom Davis, its ranking minority member, asked Vince to provide a series of documents so congress can look into WWE’s drug-testing policy.
Here are some excerpts from the letter:
“The tragic deaths of World Wrestling Entertainment star Chris Benoit and his family have raised questions about reports of widespread use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs by professional wrestlers.”
“These allegations — which include first-hand reports of steroid use by prominent former wrestlers — have swirled around the WWE for over a decade. Investigations by journalists have described a culture of performance-enhancing drug use in professional wrestling, high fatality rates among young professional wrestlers, and an inability or unwillingness of WWE to address these problems.”
“WWE has a responsibility to do everything possible to eliminate the use of performance-enhancing drugs — or the perception of such use — by its wrestlers.”
The letter describes WWE wrestlers as “multimedia stars that have an influence on the behavior and attitudes of the nation’s youth.”
They state that the committee is seeking “the results of any investigations prepared [by the company] regarding the deaths, injuries, or illnesses of current or former professional wrestlers that may have been related to the use of steroids.”
They also ask Vince to include “all communications between [the company] and outside entities including communications with health care professionals or law enforcement authorities, regarding allegations of drug use by wrestlers.”
