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Ted DiBiase Sr. and his family face a civil lawsuit from the state of Mississippi for misused federal funds amounting to $24 million.
DiBiase Sr. made his WWF (now WWE) debut in 1979 where he captured and became the first-ever North American Champion. After a stint in NWA and Japan, he returned to WWE in 1987 where he took on the moniker of 'The Million Dollar Man' until his retirement from active wrestling in 1993.
Based on reports from Mississippi Today, DiBiase Sr. and 37 other people face lawsuits from the state of Mississippi and the Department of Human Services for misuse of government funds.
The lawsuit has been lodged after Nancy and Zach New pleaded guilty to bribery in April. The two ran a non-profit that received "tens of millions" under contracts with the Department of Human Services, where it stated that they misused the non-profit's public funding and were illegally funneled to other non-profits and contractors.
Attorney Brad Pigott, who wrote the lawsuit, shared his thoughts via Mississippi Today. He stated that money for the poor should not be misused for personal gains.
“I do not understand these people. What kind of person would decide that money the law required to be spent helping the poorest people in the poorest state would be better spent being doled out by them to their own families, their own pet projects, and their own favorite celebrities?” [H/T WLOX]
Brett DiBiase, Ted DiBiase Jr. and the family organization included in the lawsuit
The report also revealed that DiBiase's sons and the religious organization run by Ted DiBiase, "Heart of David Ministry" are also part of the lawsuit.
All in all, the court is asking for a combined $ 7.4 million from the DiBiase family for damages and additional awards for legal fees. DiBiase Sr. is expected to pay $1,971,223, Ted “Teddy” DiBiase Jr. $2,897,487, Brett DiBiase $824,258, and Heart of David Ministries Inc. $1,721,223.
Much like his father, Ted DiBiase Jr. was also a part of WWE. He is best known as a member of Legacy, where he joined the likes of Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes.
