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suspected this organization, fifa, was mired in corruption for decades but could never really prove it. soccer is known as the beautiful game but today no question, it s reeling from a scandal the fbi says spans generations and involves corruption totaling $150 million. the u.s. attorney general saying to fifa that s the group that runs this, the world s most popular sport, enough is enough. it wasn t the wakeup call they expected a hotel sheet is used to hide the arrest of some of soccer s top officials. six men were taken from the exclusive swiss hotel where they were preparing to elect the leader of the world s richest sporting organization. among them, a vice president who runs the u.s. region. fifa runs global soccer. the u.s. indictment charges the when racketeering wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracies in a 24-year scheme to enrich themselves involving
they can still come. they have things open now. that s good to know. thanks joanne. i want to go to developing news surrounding allegations of a massive corruption scandal at fifa, the governing body for soccer around the world. just over an hour from now attorney general loretta lynch and fbi director james comey will lay out details. what we re hearing already is explosive. 14 defendants have been charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies. seven of them have been arrested in switzerland and could be extradited to the u.s. at any time. related fbi searches are also under way in miami, florida. the indictment unsealed earlier this morning alleges the scheme to pocket bribes and corruption of the game of soccer as it was going on has been happening for more than 20 years. among those arrested two current fifa vice presidents and one former vice president. one person who is not involved the current president of fifa sepp bladder, who s up for reelection on
practices to root out corruption and bring wrongdoers to justice. the 14 defendants charged in the indictment we re unsealing today include high ranking officials of fifa the international organization responsible for regulating and promoting soccer. leaders of regional and other governing bodies under the fifa umbrella and sports marketing executives who according to the indictment paid millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks to obtain lucrative media and marketing rights to international soccer tournaments. the 47-count indictment against these individuals includes charges of racketeering wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracies spanning two decades. fifa and the regional bodies under its umbrella make money in part by selling commercial rights to their soccer tournaments to sports marketing companies. often through multiyear contracts covering multiple editions of tournaments.