FIFA could face US Congress inquiry over ties to Trump, top Democrat warns
Senior Democrat Jamie Raskin warns that FIFA could face a sweeping US congressional investigation into its financial and political ties to Donald Trump and his family if Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives in November.
A senior Democratic figure has warned that FIFA could face a sweeping US congressional investigation into its expanding financial and political ties to Donald Trump and his family if Democrats reclaim the House of Representatives in November.
Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, accused global football’s governing body of a “smash-and-grab scam of colossal proportions” after it proposed a multibillion-dollar privatization of its commercial operations.
Raskin, who would become the judiciary committee’s chair under a Democratic House majority, vowed to make FIFA an early target of scrutiny. He accused the organization of embedding itself in what he described as a pattern of corruption surrounding Trump’s second administration and the Kushner family.
Raskin’s comments follow plans by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to spin off the organization’s commercial business into a standalone company, reportedly valued at about $20bn. JPMorgan Chase is leading the fundraising effort, with Thrive Eternal, an investment vehicle linked to Joshua Kushner, among the prospective investors. Joshua Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
The proposal has sparked an immediate backlash across world football. Uefa, the European football governing body, has warned that “none of us are the owners of football”, and on Thursday voted to boycott the World Cup if FIFA presses ahead.
Raskin said that should Democrats win control of the chamber in November’s midterm elections, the committee would have the authority to compel testimony and documents from FIFA, JPMorgan and entities connected to the Kushner family’s investment vehicles. “FIFA needs to cooperate in good faith now,” he added.
The White House has previously dismissed similar allegations as politically motivated. FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The judiciary committee minority under Raskin has already requested records from FIFA, including documents related to gifts provided to Trump, communications with the justice department, and visitor logs for FIFA’s Miami headquarters and its Trump Tower office.
