U.S. House Democrats opened an investigation into FIFA, alleging potential corruption, fraudulent sales tactics, illegal price gouging and a possible quid pro quo involving the organisation and the Trump administration.
In a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Jamie Raskin, ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, accused FIFA and U.S. President Donald Trump of orchestrating a “quid pro quo” that he said was harming American consumers.
“FIFA has taken its newfound favoured status in the Trump Administration as a sign that it may rip off its consumers, most notably, by employing illegal price gouging and fraudulent sales tactics for the World Cup.”
Raskin has also mentioned the unfair and unlawful ticketing practices for the World Cup, including price surges, widespread use of dynamic pricing and the policies allowing ticket holders to be reassigned to lower-quality seats
“The original North American bid promised a maximum finals ticket price of $1,550 - FIFA surged finals tickets to nearly $33,000 per seat, more than 20 times the promised price.”
Raskin’s letter also referenced FIFA’s history of corruption. In 2015, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) charged more than two dozen high level FIFA officials and sports-marketing executives with wire fraud and money laundering.
Defendants from more than 20 countries were accused of exchanging more than $200 million in bribes and kickbacks over 24 years in return for lucrative media rights to international football matches.
In addition to the media rights scandal, FIFA officials accepted bribes to influence the selection process for the 1998, 2010, 2018, and 2022 World Cups and several were caught selling votes for the FIFA presidency itself.
Similarly, it was discovered that Full Play Group kept detailed ledgers to track millions of dollars in bribes given to soccer officials, labelling the presidents of national teams and FIFA confederations they paid off with pseudonyms like “Benz,” “Fiat,” and “Toyota” using secret Swiss bank accounts and Panamanian shell companies to facilitate these payments.
An appeals court later unanimously confirmed the convictions. However, a few months later, the Trump administration unexpectedly abandoned the case, declining to submit an opposition brief in a tap-in appeal to the Supreme Court.
Raskin argues that all the developments including FIFA’s campaign to curry favour with Donald Trump since his re-election, along with the FIFA Peace Price awarded to President Trump and leasing an office space in Trump Tower, which retails for $600,000 a year are FIFA’s efforts to cultivate favour with the Trump administration.
Committee on the Judiciary is demanding documents and communications from FIFA related to any gifts, payments, or benefits provided to Trump and his associates, as well as records concerning FIFA’s ticketing practices and contacts with U.S. officials.
He is further demanding the visitor logs for FIFA’s gratuitous, largely vacant office space in Trump Tower. The Committee is also requesting Infantino’s appearance for a transcribed interview.
Read more
Tajikistan has begun the process of leaving the International Criminal Court, citing what it calls growing politicisation and bias in the court&rsq...
Microsoft has introduced new tools to stop AI agents from accessing data without permission, alongside a Nvidia-powered Surface laptop that can run...
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday 8 October, that Yerevan will discuss the possible construction of railway connections...
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
The Saudi-led coalition says it has carried out a series of military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after attacks on two Saudi airports left three people dead and dozens injured.
Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian states have signed two key documents at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, formalising a broader framework for regional cooperation in transport, trade, energy, digitalisation and security.
A large Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region has killed two people, damaged homes and sparked a major fire at a key fuel facility, according to Russian officials and military bloggers.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday 8 October, that Yerevan will discuss the possible construction of railway connections with the Turkish city of Kars and the Azerbaijani city of Nakhchivan with Russian officials next week, according to local media.
It started with classrooms. Too many students, not enough teachers, deteriorating buildings and growing anxiety over what comes after high school. But within weeks, a movement that began outside French lycées had spread across the country.
Iran says it will deliver its response to recent U.S. proposals through intermediaries, underscoring that communication between the two countries continues indirectly alongside ongoing diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
International cooperation, lunar exploration and the growing role of artificial intelligence dominated the third day of a major astronautical conference now underway in Antalya.
Armenian authorities have frozen a wide range of assets belonging to billionaire businessman and opposition politician Gagik Tsarukyan as part of proceedings linked to the confiscation of property allegedly acquired illegally.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment