Jamie Raskin, the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has opened an inquiry into Fifa president Gianni Infantino and requested records outlining the organization’s connections with Donald Trump and his administration.
In a letter sent on Sunday, Raskin asked Infantino to hand over documents and correspondence concerning any gifts, money or other advantages given to Trump or people close to him. He also sought visitor records from Fifa’s office in Trump Tower, obtained last year, and requested a formally transcribed interview with Infantino.
Infantino’s association with Trump attracted increased attention before this summer’s World Cup. During the tournament draw in Washington in December, Trump received a newly established “Fifa peace prize” at the Kennedy Center, where refurbishment work was reportedly accelerated at the administration’s direction ahead of the ceremony. Fifa had opened its Trump Tower office in central Manhattan the previous July.
Questions surrounding the relationship grew during the competition. Trump repeatedly contacted Infantino to press for a review of the controversial red-card suspension given to US forward Folarin Balogun before the team’s last-16 fixture against Belgium. Although Fifa later overturned the suspension, the political controversy overshadowed the American squad and angered teams and football bodies in other countries.
Trump appeared with Infantino and the leaders of Canada and Mexico during the trophy ceremony after Spain defeated Argentina in the final. Trump and Infantino, who had watched the match together from an enclosed luxury seating area, were booed by spectators at New York New Jersey Stadium when they walked onto the field.
Raskin’s correspondence also cites the Department of Justice’s move to “dismiss the indictments” against individuals charged through US inquiries into corruption in international football. Those cases included the 2015 prosecution of over 20 senior Fifa officials and sports-marketing executives.
Raskin told Infantino that his appointment as Fifa president had been expected to represent a decisive departure from the corruption and scandals that had damaged global football’s standing for decades. Instead, he alleged that Infantino weakened the organization’s ethical protections early in his presidency and undermined its ethics committee by forcing out most of its members. Raskin argued that the resulting absence of openness and supervision enabled Infantino to cultivate favor with the Trump administration through conduct described by a New York University law professor and former ethics committee member as “legal bribery”.
The letter further examines Fifa’s approach to World Cup ticket sales, which is already under review by multiple state attorneys general across the US. Dynamic pricing generated widespread complaints during the competition because sharp increases made tickets unaffordable for many supporters.
Raskin argued that the latest alleged exchange between Fifa and Trump had caused genuine harm to Americans. He claimed the organization interpreted its privileged position within the administration as permission to exploit customers, particularly through potentially unlawful price increases and misleading World Cup sales practices.
Fifa was given until 9 August to supply the requested materials and arrange the interview. Because Democrats lack a House majority, Raskin cannot force Infantino to testify unless Republican members support the effort.
Fifa’s dealings with the US authorities are expected to continue beyond this summer’s tournament. The United States is likely to serve as the principal host of the 2031 Women’s World Cup, while the success of this year’s competition has fueled speculation that it could also stage the men’s event in 2038. Fifa was asked to respond.
Earlier on Monday, Infantino published a 15-part Instagram statement criticizing his opponents and accusing them of promoting hatred and inaccurate claims. He also characterized the World Cup as successful.
More than 200 Fifa member organizations have backed Infantino before the presidential vote in March, although several national bodies remain opposed to him. Norway’s football federation intends to file an official ethics complaint concerning Trump’s involvement in the decision to overturn Balogun’s suspension.
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