The Man From FCPA

The ongoing FIFA corruption scandal takes on new life as some of the top names in German soccer, as well as sports apparel manufacturer Adidas, appear to be implicated in the 2006 World Cup bid. CW’s Tom Fox reports on this latest ethics investigation.

It appears the Fédération Internationale de Football Association is trying to shed its corrupt image in favor of playing the victim. The international governing body of football has asked the Justice Department for its share of monies it obtains through forfeiture and penalties from individuals prosecuted around the FIFA corruption scandal. But has the entity put any work into cleaning up its own house before seeking help? FCPA blogger Tom Fox explores.

You might think in today’s corporate world “tone at the top” would be so well worn that you need not repeat it. Yet, tone at the top apparently did warrant repeating for former FIFA head Sepp Blatter. Earlier this week, Blatter announced he would fight the eight-year suspension placed upon him by FIFA’s ethics committee for his part in the scandal—a part, Blatter maintains, he did not play. During his press conference the outraged exec railed, “I am ashamed that the committee goes against the evidence presented. They have no right!” Um, don’t they?

The fallout from the FIFA corruption scandal continues across the globe (literally), with FIFA audit committee members suspended and investigations expanded. As the next wave of soccer tournaments reaches the planning stages, however, we might be starting to see FIFA taking business practices seriously. Our Man From FCPA, Tom Fox, has more.