Infantino’s relationship with Trump to be investigated (Image: GETTY)
Gianni Infantino has been summoned to appear before Congress following the launch of an investigation into FIFA’s ties to Donald Trump and his administration. The relationship between the two sides has been the subject of intense scrutiny since before this summer’s World Cup. Mr. Trump won the first FIFA Peace Prize at a lottery ceremony last year, which caused widespread ridicule.
Criticism reached new heights during the World Cup, just months after FIFA opened an office in Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York. The main controversy began when President Trump intervened to get American striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspended for one year. The move drew outrage from around the world, given its unprecedented nature and President Trump’s involvement.
It emerged that President Trump had called and spoke to Infantino before Balogun’s ban was suspended, after which he took to social media to express his gratitude to the governing body for reversing the “grave injustice.”
Now, according to the Guardian, Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has written to Infantino demanding that FIFA hand over visitor records from the association’s offices in Trump Tower, as well as any documents or communications related to “gifts, payments, or favors provided to Mr. Trump and his associates.”
Infantino has also been asked to appear before the committee for a transcript of the interview, and has been given an Aug. 9 deadline to submit the requested documents and arrange the interview.
But given that Democrats do not control the House majority, Mr. Raskin cannot force Mr. Infantino to attend unless he gets Republican support.
In a damning letter to Infantino, the Maryland representative said: “Your election as FIFA president was supposed to be a red card break from a decades-long culture of corruption and scandal that has tarnished the reputation of world soccer.
“Instead, at the beginning of your term you dismantled FIFA’s ethical guardrails and crippled the organization’s ethics committee by expelling most of its members.
Jamie Raskin writes damning letter to FIFA president (Image: GETTY)
“This lack of transparency and oversight paved the way for the Trump administration to be co-opted through tactics that one New York University law professor and former Ethics Commissioner described as ‘legal bribery.’”
This comes after Infantino issued a wide-ranging statement in which he scathingly rebuked FIFA’s detractors and accused those criticizing the recent World Cup of being “swallowed by hatred and criticism”.
“To everyone who didn’t get to see children, babies, grandparents and parents come together for a beautiful game, I’m sorry it’s over. I’m sorry you missed out on that joy and togetherness,” he wrote.
“I’m sorry that I got so caught up in the hate and criticism that I missed it all.”
The FIFA President continued: “To those who are spreading hatred and false rumors behind the pen and the screen, I want to say this: While you are sitting in the back, we at FIFA are on the front lines organizing, working hard and delivering the greatest show in the world.
“While you are in hiding, we are exploring the streets of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, talking to fans, engaging with people, and making sure everyone is safe. While you are divided, we are united.”
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