2015 FIFA corruption case: Difference between revisions

CONCACAF President [[Jeffrey Webb (football executive)|Jeffrey Webb]], also serving president of the [[Cayman Islands Football Association]], was arrested in connection with the investigation, as was former CONMEBOL President [[Nicolás Leoz]], while two sitting [[FIFA Executive Committee]] members were also arrested: [[Eduardo Li]] of the [[Costa Rican Football Federation]] and [[Eugenio Figueredo]], formerly of the [[Uruguayan Football Association]]. The investigation lasted several years, with the first arrest, of former CONCACAF president [[Jack Warner (football executive)|Jack Warner]]'s son Daryll, made in July 2013.<ref name="Actual Indictments">{{cite news|title=FIFA Indictments|newspaper=The New York Times|date=27 May 2015|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/27/sports/soccer/document-fifa-indictments.html|access-date=28 May 2015|archive-date=28 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528182732/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/27/sports/soccer/document-fifa-indictments.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DOJ-PR">{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nine-fifa-officials-and-five-corporate-executives-indicted-racketeering-conspiracy-and|title=Nine FIFA Officials and Five Corporate Executives Indicted for Racketeering Conspiracy and Corruption|date=27 May 2015|access-date=27 May 2015|publisher=[[United States Department of Justice]]|archive-date=27 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527093831/http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nine-fifa-officials-and-five-corporate-executives-indicted-racketeering-conspiracy-and|url-status=live}}</ref>

 

 

The arrests case triggered Australia,<ref name="Warner Australia">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/29/fifa-crisis-australian-police-agree-to-look-into-500000-paid-to-jack-warner|title=Fifa crisis: Australian police agree to look into $500,000 paid to Jack Warner|work=The Guardian|date=29 May 2015|access-date=10 December 2016|archive-date=31 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160831163330/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/29/fifa-crisis-australian-police-agree-to-look-into-500000-paid-to-jack-warner|url-status=live}}</ref> Colombia,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://colombiareports.com/colombia-joins-investigation-into-fifa-corruption/|title=Colombia joins investigation into FIFA corruption|date=28 May 2015|publisher=colombiareports.com|access-date=29 May 2015|archive-date=29 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529074814/http://colombiareports.com/colombia-joins-investigation-into-fifa-corruption/|url-status=live}}</ref> Costa Rica,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thecostaricanews.com/costa-rica-prosecutors-open-investigation-into-fifa-arrest-of-official-eduardo-li |title=Costa Rica Prosecutors Open Investigation into Arrest of FIFA Official Eduardo Li |work=The Costa Rica News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529074952/http://thecostaricanews.com/costa-rica-prosecutors-open-investigation-into-fifa-arrest-of-official-eduardo-li |archive-date=29 May 2015 }}</ref> Germany<ref name= "Niersbach">[https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34770939 German football chief resigns over corruption allegations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123000427/http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34770939 |date=23 November 2015 }}, BBC Sports, 9 November 2015</ref> and Switzerland<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32912533|title=Fifa scandal: What took Switzerland so long to investigate?|work=BBC News|date=28 May 2015|access-date=21 June 2018|archive-date=6 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806070132/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32912533|url-status=live}}</ref> to open or intensify separate [[criminal investigation]]s into top FIFA officials for corruption.

The 2015 centre on the alleged use of [[bribery]], [[fraud]] and [[money laundering]] to corrupt the issuing of media and marketing rights for FIFA games in [[the Americas]], estimated at $150&nbsp;million,<ref name="DOJ-PR"/> including at least $110&nbsp;million in bribes related to the [[Copa América Centenario]] to be hosted in 2016 in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/may/27/fifa-officials-arrested-on-corruption-charges-live|title=Fifa in crisis amid corruption arrests and World Cup voting inquiry – live updates (15:51)|author=Bryan Armen Graham|date=27 May 2015|access-date=27 May 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|archive-date=27 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527063902/http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/may/27/fifa-officials-arrested-on-corruption-charges-live|url-status=live}}</ref> The indictment handed down by the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York|U.S. District Court]] in [[Brooklyn]], New York, alleges that bribery was used in an attempt to influence clothing sponsorship contracts, the [[FIFA World Cup hosts#2010 FIFA World Cup|selection process]] for the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] host, and [[61st FIFA Congress#2011 presidential election|the 2011 FIFA presidential election]].<ref name="DOJ-PR" /> Specifically, an unnamed sports equipment company – identified in multiple sources as [[Nike, Inc.]]<ref name="Guardian-Nike">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/28/fifa-crisis-blatter-calls-resign-sponsors-disappointment|title=Fifa scandal: Visa sponsorship threat compounds calls for Blatter to quit|newspaper=The Guardian|author1=Claire Phipps|author2=Damien Gayle|date=28 May 2015|access-date=28 May 2015|archive-date=28 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528082825/http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/28/fifa-crisis-blatter-calls-resign-sponsors-disappointment|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Forbes-Nike">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2015/05/27/major-u-s-sportswear-company-implicated-in-soccer-bribery-scheme/|title=Nike Implicated in Soccer Bribery Scheme|newspaper=Forbes|author=Darren Heitner|date=27 May 2015|access-date=28 May 2015|archive-date=28 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528124449/http://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2015/05/27/major-u-s-sportswear-company-implicated-in-soccer-bribery-scheme/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="HuffPo-Nike">{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/27/fifa-scandal-nike-brazil_n_7453032.html|title=Nike Just Became Part of the FIFA Corruption Scandal|newspaper=HuffPost|author1=Lucy McCalmont|author2=Ben Walsh|date=27 May 2015|access-date=28 May 2015|archive-date=27 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527202632/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/27/fifa-scandal-nike-brazil_n_7453032.html|url-status=live}}</ref> – is alleged to have paid at least $40&nbsp;million in bribes to become the sole provider of uniforms, footwear, accessories, and equipment to the [[Brazil national football team|Brazil national team]].<ref name="Guardian-Nike" />

 

 

They were investigating Blazer's involvement in the bidding process for host countries for the FIFA World Cups from the early 1990s onwards. The United States is one of five countries that broadly exercise worldwide jurisdiction to [[International taxation|tax the net income of its citizens]] from any source in the world. It also [[Taxation of illegal income in the United States|requires taxpayers to report and pay tax on illegal income]], and exercises [[Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act|worldwide jurisdiction over all financial institutions with U.S.-based account holders]]. Blazer agreed to cooperate almost immediately after two agents approached him in New York and confronted him with proof of his tax crimes.<ref name="nydailynews.com"/>

In May 2015, on the same day as the arrests resulting from the FBI's investigation and in a separate action, the Swiss prosecuting authorities launched a criminal inquiry on "suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering" concerning the 2018 and 2022 bidding processes. The Swiss authorities seized "electronic data and documents" in a raid on FIFA's Zürich headquarters.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-32897157|title=Fifa corruption inquiry|date=26 May 2015|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=26 May 2015|archive-date=28 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528124537/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-32897157|url-status=live}}</ref> The Swiss police also planned to question ten members of the [[FIFA Executive Committee]] who participated in the December 2010 votes that chose the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 world cups.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32895048|title=Fifa corruption inquiry|date=27 May 2015|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=27 May 2015|archive-date=27 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527065003/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32895048|url-status=live}}</ref>

 

 

===Television rights===

 

====Suspended World Cup bid====

 

===Convicted defendants===