Today at 4 PM EST, FIFA will announce that after a year-long investigation into the possible corruption of bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup games, both Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022) have been cleared of any wrongdoing and will host the World.
Here’s what we know about the investigation:
The investigation was conducted by former US Attorney Michael J. Garcia
Michael J. Garcia was the prosecutor in the case of former NY governor Elliot Spitzer. He was appointed the head of the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee of FIFA back in 2012 when the investigations originally began.
Ironically enough, he was banned from entering Russia (one of the countries he investigated) back in 2013 for the alleged human rights violations that the United States was guilty of.
Michael J. Garcia thinks the final decision is bullsh*t
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlJEt2KU33I&w=590]
The same man who lead the investigation will appeal FIFA’s findings, citing that the “decision by the Chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions detailed in the Investigatory Chamber’s report.”
The one question I think is on everyone’s minds is how batshit crazy does FIFA have to be to think that the guy who literally did all the work wouldn’t have an issue with them completely ignoring a year’s worth of investigations? Just casting facts off to the side where it pleases them. The answer is “very.”
The report’s full findings will not be published for the public to read
The full findings from Michael J. Garcia will not be made public, instead “a statement relating to the investigatory chamber’s report on the inquiry into the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process will be made publicly available on November 13 at approximately 10.00 CET [0900 GMT].” The report on the inquiry is embedded for you below.
Unfortunately you’re not able to wipe your ass with your computer screen yet, because that’s all this this report is good for.
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Whether or not this is to protect Sepp Blatter who according to SI is specifically criticized in Garcia’s report (as other other FIFA executives), is anyone’s guess, but the fact of the matter is that when it comes to FIFA and corruption, they’re the one entity I believe is guilty until proven innocent.
Both Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022) will host The World Cup
Unless the appeals process succeeds (spoiler alert: it won’t) both Russia and Qatar will host the World Cup after being “cleared” of any wrongdoing.
