February 27 2008 Stamford Conn.–World Wrestling Entertainment issued a statement from Chairman Vince McMahon concerning comments made at today’s Congressional Hearing in Washington DC.

“Any suggestion made today by Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that I or my organization WWE have been uncooperative or that I have in any way “flipped [my] finger” at the Committee by not accepting its invitation to testify today is inaccurate and unfair”. The WWE has provided over 3 000 pages of documents and cooperated with all requests from the Committee as we have with similar requests from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The first and only response to our cooperation from the Committee on Energy and Commerce was an invitation to testify at today’s hearing sent to me by Congressman Rush on January 23 2008. In that letter  he clearly states that I have the right according to House rules to be accompanied by my own counsel. I responded to the invitation to testify by declining for that very reason. My attorney of 20 years Jerry McDevitt is unavailable because he is currently representing another client on trial in Pittsburgh PA (U.S. vs. Cyril Wecht). Since I sent my letter of declination 30 days ago there had been no response from the Committee until today’s unfair and inaccurate comments made by members of the Committee. Despite this as I pledged in my January 28 2008 letter to the Committee  I remain willing to cooperate fully with the Committee’s inquiry.

WWE has provided two attachments that include WWE Letter of Declination to Chairman Rush and Chairman Rush’s Invitation to Vince McMahon to Testify.