By Adam Johnson / Alternet
On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice, in concert with the US Internal Revenue Service, issued a blistering 47-count indictment against fourteen FIFA officials including nine high-ranking vice presidents. Charges included money laundering, fraud, and international racketeering that date back decades and, according to the DOJ, implicates dozens more. Newly minted US Attorney Loretta Lynch did not pull any punches in her scathing press conference:
“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States, It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.”
That FIFA is wantonly corrupt is a surprise to no one – the International soccer organization has been marred by accusations for decades. What is surprising is just how unflinching the DOJ’s case against them is turning out to be. The indictment was even preceded by a dramatic series of arrests by Swiss authorities at FIFA’s congress in Zurich yesterday complete with the obligatory masked perp walk.
Just how corrupt is FIFA? Well, instead of explaining it with a long-winded rundown, I’ll instead turn the floor over to John Oliver who, in this 2014 segment, thoroughly rips FIFA to shreds and makes it readily apparent just how overdue these arrests were:
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