Loretta Lynch's Justice Department Just Launched a Full-Blown Offensive Against FIFA

National Journal ^ | May 27, 2015 | Nora Kelly

[Biggirl]

May 27, 2015 Loretta Lynch's Justice Department unsealed a 47-count indictment Wednesday morning laden with racketeering, corruption and conspiracy charges against 14 people associated with FIFA, the world soccer association, and international soccer organizations.

[kevkrom]

I dunno, are there any Repub, Consevitive, obama enemy, lib/dem enemy that this may lead back to? That would explain it.

Well, FIFA is a contributor to the Clinton Global Initiative... (anyone surprised?)

[HenryArmitage]

1 word. MONEY. The US justice system lets a lot of things slide if you are big enough. But when they find out you have been using our financial system and not giving it a cut of the action (taxes, laundering) the hammer will come down.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Heck, now that there is corruption involved I might start watching soccer.

[Red Badger]

DC? FIFA may be corrupt, but they ain’t THAT CORRUPT!...........

[Biggirl]

Frankly corruption is sports is BAD across the board, not just in FIFA. The IOC does come to mind.

[Biggirl]

BINGO! We have a WINNER!

[kevkrom]

Yeah, the only two organizations I can think of that might be more corrupt than FIFA are the IOC and the UN.

[McGruff]

Ignore that the world is melting down.

[Biggirl]

Yep!

And I suspect, the American major sports leagues are not far behind.

[BlackAdderess]

So are they trying to throw the FIFA election in the favor of the second place candidate?

[McGruff]

Somebody deflating their footballs?

[V_TWIN]

“Well, FIFA is a contributor to the Clinton Global Initiative”

Ah, the plot thickens.

[OrangeHoof]

Look for more black referees.

[woodenickel]

Everything else is fixed, time to work on soccer!!

[Reverend Saltine]

BY G-D THAT WILL PUT THE FEAAR OF G-D INTO EVERY MEMBER OF ISIS, AND PUTIN!!!!

SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN YOU MISCREANTS???

(nasty memo to ISIS and Putin is sure to follow.)

[sphinx]

I don't see why this is our fight. The U.S. is a respectable mid-major player in men's soccer, but I would guess that the rest of the world will find it pretty cheeky for the U.S. to reach out to police their game.

Maybe the Brazilians, Dutch, French, and others should start bringing lawsuits against the NCAA, NFL, and NBA for assorted misdeeds? After all, they all have foreign players, and international betting interest. That's enough of a nexus. How about a judge in Buenos Aires setting the rules for the NFL?

[kevkrom]

You know, it may sound crazy, but as a nation, we can actually do more than one thing at once. Systematic bribery, corruption, and bank/wire fraud is still an issue the should be addressed, even as we deal with other things.

[Gamecock]

Probably upset that no African or Muzzie country has ever won the World Cup.

[kevkrom]

I don't see why this is our fight. The U.S. is a respectable mid-major player in men's soccer, but I would guess that the rest of the world will find it pretty cheeky for the U.S. to reach out to police their game.

Because they were using the U.S. banking system to conduct bank/wire fraud. That makes it our problem, and why the arrests are limited to FIFA executives from this part of the world - because they operated here.

[MaxMax]

Oh look, the junior has her first big case. She must be giddy with excitement.