By Nick Frost, Staff Writer
For some, sports may be an escape from work and politics, but there are times when they reflect these same real-world difficulties. There are moments when athletes use their platforms to protest injustices they perceive, and there are scandals that make fans question the legacy of individuals and their organizations.
As John Oliver discussed multiple times[1] on his late-night HBO program, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,[2] most soccer fans have known that Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the global governing body of soccer, has not been an honest organization. Nevertheless, the corruption case that began in May 2015 still shook the international soccer community when U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch indicted several soccer marketing company executives and FIFA officials.[3]
The company executives and FIFA officials were charged with wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering conspiracies under the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).[4] RICO was originally created to prosecute the Mafia and other organized crime groups, but it has been used to go after large organizations, such as the Catholic Diocese in certain jurisdictions,[5] Major League Baseball,[6] pro-life activists,[7] and FIFA.
The indictment and arrests centered around criminal corruption in the issuing of media and marketing rights for FIFA games in the Americas, estimated at $150 million.[8] This included at least $110 million in bribes related to an international soccer tournament, the Copa América Centanario,[9] which was hosted in the United States this summer. But the indictments and arrests have involved much more than just the Copa América Centanario. They also included sponsorship contracts; hosts of the most popular soccer tournament in the world, the FIFA World Cup; and FIFA’s presidential election.[10]
What most people were initially frustrated about during these initial charges was that none were against FIFA President Sepp Blatter; the investigation is still ongoing, however, as Switzerland came up with a second wave of indictments in December 2015.[11] In total, there have been 42 entities and individuals charged as part of the FIFA corruption case; 18 of the individuals and two companies have already pled guilty to charges made by the U.S. government.[12]
Despite the already hefty charges against these officials and corporations, the case still has the potential to grow even larger. It will continue to expand because the prosecutors are employing a well-known legal strategy: getting known participants involved in the fraud scheme to cooperate and provide key additional information.[13]
This potential was made clear by Lynch. “The scale of corruption alleged is unconscionable,” Lynch said, “and the message of this announcement should be clear to every culpable individual who remains in the shadows hoping to evade this ongoing investigation: You will not wait us out, and you will not escape our focus.”[14]
In this case, the U.S. is sending a message to FIFA and other previously unchallenged international organizations that actions not in accordance with these laws will be indicted.
Sources
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlJEt2KU33I
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr6ar3xJL_Q
[3] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nine-fifa-officials-and-five-corporate-executives-indicted-racketeering-conspiracy-and
[4] http://www.economist.com/news/international/21653613-why-america-and-not-another-country-going-after-fifa-worlds-lawyer
[5] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/03/pennsylvania-diocese-racketeering-lawsuit-sexual-abuse-clergy
[6] Chass, Murray (July 17, 2002). Baseball: A Group’s Racketeering Suit Brings Baseball to Full Bristle. The New York Times. Retrieved Sept. 30, 2009.
[7] NOW v. Scheidler, 510 U.S. 249, 114 S. Ct. 798, 127 L.Ed. 2d 99 (1994).
[8] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nine-fifa-officials-and-five-corporate-executives-indicted-racketeering-conspiracy-and
[9] https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/may/27/fifa-officials-arrested-on-corruption-charges-live#block-5565d9c9e4b0ab5615399afd
[10] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nine-fifa-officials-and-five-corporate-executives-indicted-racketeering-conspiracy-and
[11] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/sixteen-additional-fifa-officials-indicted-racketeering-conspiracy-and-corruption
[12] http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-fifa-idUKKCN12K2BG
[13] Id.
[14] http://www.law360.com/articles/733968
