Steve Carrier on March 22, 2026
Ted DiBiase Jr.’s not guilty verdict may have closed the criminal case against him, but reactions from state officials and his legal team show the fallout from the welfare scandal is far from over.
After a federal jury cleared the former WWE star of all 13 charges following roughly four hours of deliberation on March 20, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White issued a statement expressing frustration with the outcome while pointing out that others connected to the broader case have already admitted guilt. White made it clear that, despite DiBiase Jr. walking free of criminal charges, the state still intends to pursue financial accountability through the courts.
“While I’m disappointed in the result of the trial, nothing changes the fact that seven people have already pleaded guilty to state or federal charges because of the welfare scandal. My hope now is that the state’s lawyers will be able to recover as much of the misspent money as possible in civil court so hard-working taxpayers can see some accountability for what happened here.”
DiBiase Jr.’s attorney Scott Gilbert also spoke publicly after the verdict, pushing back on comparisons between his client and other defendants who pleaded guilty in related cases. Gilbert stressed that DiBiase’s situation was fundamentally different and argued that his client relied on the wrong people for guidance. Gilbert addressed the claims directly while defending DiBiase’s actions and judgment during the situation.
“People need to understand everybody's case is different. The facts for each of these other defendants who pled guilty are different from Teddy. They were not similarly situated at all. They all had a much broader base of knowledge and experience about these funds and how they were going to be used, and Teddy trusted those folks to guide him in the right direction. And unfortunately, it got him in a difficult spot. I'm sure there are plenty of things Teddy would do differently now, if he had the chance to do it again.”
The criminal case itself stretched across several weeks and included testimony from 20 witnesses. Proceedings were temporarily paused at one point due to a medical emergency involving DiBiase Jr.’s primary attorney, and the court denied multiple defense requests for a mistrial before ultimately sending the case to the jury.
While the jury’s decision cleared DiBiase Jr. of conspiracy, wire fraud, theft involving federally funded programs, and money laundering charges, the legal fight tied to the welfare scandal isn’t finished. A separate civil lawsuit aimed at recovering allegedly misspent funds from DiBiase Jr. and others is still active and working its way through the court system.
Even with the criminal charges behind him, the continued push for financial recovery means this story isn’t fully closed, and the long-term outcome could still carry consequences depending on how the civil case unfolds.
Do you think the civil lawsuit could end up being just as impactful as the criminal case, or should this situation be considered finished after the not guilty verdict? Let us know what you think.
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