Lee Fitting, current WWE producer, departed ESPN in 2023 due to involvement in an Emmy Awards submission scheme, not workplace misconduct allegations, The New York Post reports.
The scheme involved submitting false names with similar initials to presenters as associate producers to acquire Emmy statuettes for talents who did not meet National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) guidelines. The names would later be altered in award recordings.
NATAS demanded the return of the awards upon discovering the fraudulent submissions and imposed a one-year suspension on ESPN’s senior leadership. Both Fitting and executive Craig Lazarus were declared ineligible for future Emmy Awards.
ESPN addressed the situation in a statement: “Members of our team incorrectly submitted certain names, possibly dating back to 1997, in categories where they were not eligible for recognition or statuettes. This was a misguided attempt to recognize key members of our production team.”
Fitting currently serves as producer for RAW and SmackDown. WWE has not commented on the Emmy scheme or separate misconduct allegations.
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