U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn denies knowledge of FIFA corruption
U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn testified at a hearing on Wednesday that he did not have any direct knowledge of corruption occurring during FIFA meetings, but did experience “discomfort” during some moments.
Asked for specifics on the discomfort, Flynn cited the way former CONCACAF president Jack Warner and former CONCACAF secretary general Chuck Blazer ran their meetings.
“The discomfort was kind of in generalities,” Flynn said. “How [Warner] ran a meeting and went through an agenda and had hand votes verse sealed votes, those are the kinds of discomforts that led me to some level of discomfort.”
Warner was one of 14 current and former FIFA officials and business people indicted on corruption charges by the United States Justice Department in May. Blazer was not among those indicted, however FIFA banned him for life last week for his role in soccer’s widespread corruption.
• Senator introduces resolution urging FIFA to give equal pay to women
Blazer said he and other FIFA executive committee members accepted bribes for the 1998 and 2010 World Cups, as well as for five Gold Cups.
You can watch the full U.S. Senate Subcommittee hearing below.
