USSF CEO & Secretary General Dan Flynn yesterday "faced withering questioning" from a U.S. Senate subcommittee "seeking to determine U.S. soccer officials' knowledge of the dealings at the center of the investigation of corruption by FIFA," according to Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY. Flynn "essentially suggested that taking on world soccer's governing establishment would have had -- and does have -- undesirable potential ramifications for the USSF and the sport" in the U.S. Flynn said that he and USSF officials "knew nothing about corruption until the Justice Department announced six guilty pleas and 14 indictments." Consequently, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) "put Flynn on the defensive," pressing him about whether he "had suspicions about the corruption." Flynn replied, "There were moments I would describe as if I had a level of discomfort, I would not participate and I would just get myself out of any situation." Blumenthal then asked whether, in retrospect, the USSF "acted inadequately to investigate, prevent or call attention to the situation 'particularly in light of the lack of comfort level that you had.'" Flynn said, "I was aware of some level of discomfort, but it was all a general feeling. So, I had no hard evidence and we wanted to continue to participate in trying to influence (FIFA) as one of 209 members" (USA TODAY, 7/16). Flynn added that he "never directly witnessed corrupt activity and none was brought to his attention" (L.A. TIMES, 7/16). In N.Y, Rebecca Ruiz notes Flynn "was not under oath, fumbled at times," and "repeatedly sought to distance U.S. Soccer from FIFA." Meanwhile, investigative reporter Andrew Jennings, who has "made his career exposing corruption in soccer, was chief" among those questioning Flynn about why he had been sent to testify, rather than USSF President Sunil Gulati. Jennings asked, "Where’s Sunil? He’s the man who takes American values supposedly to FIFA, to CONCACAF, and he’s not here to talk about it today." Flynn explained that he was there in place of Gulati due to the "advice of an outside lawyer, and because he had greater familiarity with U.S. Soccer’s daily operations" than Gulati (N.Y. TIMES, 7/16).
BUILDING A CASE: In N.Y., Barry Meier writes under the header, "Labor Scrutiny For FIFA As A World Cup Rises In The Qatar Desert." Thousands of foreign laborers "continue to work in Qatar under conditions akin to indentured servitude." As the FIFA controversy grows, major American construction companies working in Qatar and other gulf nations "are also being drawn into the debate about labor practices in the region" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/16).
