FIFA officials arrested *Update 2* Chuck Blazer admits taking bribes

[Jodell88]

Several Fifa officials have been arrested in dawn raids at a Zurich hotel ahead of Friday's presidential election.

The members of football's world governing body were held by Swiss police at the request of the US Department of Justice.

According to the New York Times, the arrests were made over allegations of corruption.

The FBI will hold a press conference in New York at 15:30 GMT.

The Swiss authorities began their operation to arrest and extradite the Fifa officials to the US early on Wednesday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32895057?ocid=socialflow_twitter

Finally!

I'm hoping something good comes out of this.

The charges allege widespread corruption in FIFA over the past two decades, involving bids for World Cups as well as marketing and broadcast deals, according to three law enforcement officials with direct knowledge of the case. The charges include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering, and officials said they targeted members of FIFA’s powerful executive committee, which wields enormous power and does its business largely in secret.

.....

Prosecutors planned to unseal an indictment against more than 10 officials, not all of whom are in Zurich, law enforcement officials said. Among them are Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands, a vice president of the executive committee; Eugenio Figueredo of Uruguay, who is also an executive committee vice president and until recently was the president of South America’s soccer association; and Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago, a former member of the executive committee who has been accused of numerous ethical violations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/27/s...cials-face-corruption-charges-in-us.html?_r=0

It's been an open secret since 1989 that Jack Warner is a crook.

*Update*

Sepp Blatter under investigation by US officials as part of Fifa corruption inquiry, reports say

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-32986950

*Update 2*
Chuck Blazer admits to accepting bribes for the 1998 and 2010 world cups in New York court.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/32998735?...ng&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=news_central

 

[ForumMaster]

For anyone who hasn't seen this:
John Oliver: FIFA and the World CUP

 

[Inspector Jihad]

USA dominating soccer! It was only a matter of time

 

[sdifox]

From Switzerland? I guess they are tresting the FIFA crooks as seriously as megaupload :awe:

 

[Ichinisan]

For anyone who hasn't seen this:
John Oliver: FIFA and the World CUP

I want to see the FIFA movie.

 

[Genx87]

For anyone who hasn't seen this:
John Oliver: FIFA and the World CUP

Im watching this and honestly they dont sound much different from any professional team in the US when it comes to having the public finance their stadiums and the profits stays with the league. NFL, Baseball, NBA stadiums. None of them make the city money. They all make the team money.

 

[spacejamz]

Im watching this and honestly they dont sound much different from any professional team in the US when it comes to having the public finance their stadiums and the profits stays with the league. NFL, Baseball, NBA stadiums. None of them make the city money. They all make the team money.

at least those stadiums get filled for more than 4 games.....doesn't the city at least make money on taxes (unlike tax exempt fifa)?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Wait I'm not a soccer fan or world cup follower but let me understand. Six people embezzled or stole about 150 million over 20(?) years were arrested while some international banks rigged the global interest rates to make far more and just paid a fine?

 

[Genx87]

at least those stadiums get filled for more than 4 games.....doesn't the city at least make money on taxes (unlike tax exempt fifa)?

True however the complaint is the same. Tax payers money to pay for stadiums for a multi-billion dollar organization run by millionaires and billionaires. Where the vast majority of the profits end up in the league and owners hands.

The cities usually include some form of tax breaks. Not usually zero taxes. But the city never recovers the lost opportunity cost of financing the stadium even through any potential increase in tax revenues.

 

[KMFJD]

Awesome news just ahead of the fifa elections...

 

[Possessed Freak]

The cities usually include some form of tax breaks. Not usually zero taxes. But the city never recovers the lost opportunity cost of financing the stadium even through any potential increase in tax revenues.

It is really hard to figure out the secondary benefits to having the stadium. Hotel stays, taxi/bus/subway fares, secondary tourism boosts (restaurants, etc), prestige of having a pro team compared to the town that doesn't, taxes of the players, outside rentals of the stadium during off season boosting everything again... and that's just what I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[smackababy]

FIFA is essentially one of the most corrupt organizations on the planet. Until Blatter is removed as president, nothing will change, regardless of how many people are arrested.


Btw, Blatter has been advised to not set foot on any soil US officials can arrest him, as they will. Numerous investigations have shown the Qatar WC bid was bought and paid for, before any "bid" was reviewed.

 

[1prophet]

Wait I'm not a soccer fan or world cup follower but let me understand. Six people embezzled or stole about 150 million over 20(?) years were arrested while some international banks rigged the global interest rates to make far more and just paid a fine?

THIS, guess they forgot to pay off the right politicians.

 

[HomerJS]

Wait I'm not a soccer fan or world cup follower but let me understand. Six people embezzled or stole about 150 million over 20(?) years were arrested while some international banks rigged the global interest rates to make far more and just paid a fine?

Damn, you beat me to it. I would have more respect for the DOJ if some Wall St. CEOs were perp walked. Are they going after Patriots next?

BTW - Had no idea DOJ had any jurisdiction

 

[senseamp]

Shouldn't the US DOJ be fighting corruption, I don't know, in the US? I know our SCOTUS thinks money is speech and doesn't corrupt, but still.

 

[Blackjack200]

Shouldn't the US DOJ be fighting corruption, I don't know, in the US? I know our SCOTUS thinks money is speech and doesn't corrupt, but still.

To do that, the corruption would have to be illegal.

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/...-keystone-xl-joins-transcanada-lobbying-firm/

Maybe they're just bored.

 

[Genx87]

It is really hard to figure out the secondary benefits to having the stadium. Hotel stays, taxi/bus/subway fares, secondary tourism boosts (restaurants, etc), prestige of having a pro team compared to the town that doesn't, taxes of the players, outside rentals of the stadium during off season boosting everything again... and that's just what I can think of off the top of my head.

People have studied the economic impact of stadiums on the surrounding community. They all agree at the end of the day a stadium provides little to no economic benefit.

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/are-pro-sports-teams-economic-winners-cities

 

[senseamp]

To do that, the corruption would have to be illegal.

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/...-keystone-xl-joins-transcanada-lobbying-firm/

Maybe they're just bored.

But one person’s lobbying is another person’s advising. The Department of Justice has never brought an enforcement action on unregistered lobbying, and ethics experts believe the law is regularly flouted.

When the DOJ isn't busy solving other countries' corruption problems, maybe they can do something about the one that pays them.

 

[Blackjack200]

Good point.

 

[Jodell88]

When the DOJ isn't busy solving other countries' corruption problems, maybe they can do something about the one that pays them.

CONCACAF's headquarters is in Miami. It's the US business because of that.

 

[brycejones]

obummer hates soccer!

 

[senseamp]

CONCACAF's headquarters is in Miami. It's the US business because of that.

I am sure they'll find some reason, you spent bribe money at a McDonalds, so its the US business. It's all a diversion from the fact that much bigger corruption is perfectly legal in the US, so DOJ can do nothing about it. Why don't the Swiss go after FIFA themselves? Why does the US taxpayer who is forced to pay for costs of legalized corruption here, also has to pay to clean it up in Switzerland?

 

[Zargon]

I am sure they'll find some reason, you spent bribe money at a McDonalds, so its the US business. It's all a diversion from the fact that much bigger corruption is perfectly legal in the US, so DOJ can do nothing about it. Why don't the Swiss go after FIFA themselves? Why does the US taxpayer who is forced to pay for costs of legalized corruption here, also has to pay to clean it up in Switzerland?

Switzerland is also investigating.

 

[senseamp]

Switzerland is also investigating.

Then they should bring the charges, not extradite to the US for US taxpayer to pay for.

 

[Zargon]

we're probably mad we spent millions vying for 2022 and they gave it to a craphole like qatar