WWE seeks dismissal of Conn. newspaper's complaint

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The professional wrestling company that Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon once oversaw now wants a federal elections complaint filed by a Connecticut newspaper dismissed.

The WWE, formerly known as World Wrestling Entertainment, said the complaint filed by the Journal Inquirer of Manchester "failed to provide a factual basis" for its accusation that the Stamford-based company illegally helped McMahon's campaign when it threatened a lawsuit against the newspaper.

In a statement released Wednesday, WWE called the claim "absurd" and "an abuse of process."

The Journal Inquirer filed its complaint with the Federal Elections Commission after a WWE official accused the newspaper of libel and threatened legal action if it didn't retract two opinion columns written by the managing editor, who asserted McMahon made her fortune from the pornography and violence business.