FIFA "is set to amend its World Cup bidding rules in an attempt to stop countries touting for votes by investing in football development projects around the world," according to Owen Gibson of the GUARDIAN. FIFA also will "introduce a requirement forcing bidding nations to comply with United Nations standards on labour laws and human rights" (GUARDIAN, 7/16). In London, Moore & Sanderson reported the changes are understood "to have been agreed" upon by top FIFA officials. Other key reform proposals to be put to an exec committee meeting on Monday "remain in the balance, among them term limits on football officials" (FT.com, 7/16).
HARD WORK AHEAD: The BBC's Richard Conway reported N.Y.-based crisis communications firm Teneo Holdings "has been retained" by FIFA in the wake of the criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice in May. Teneo President Doug Band, who served as a director on the U.S. '22 World Cup bid committee along with USSF President Sunil Gulati, made the final bid presentation. He also "served as a close adviser" to former President Bill Clinton during his years in the White House. Teneo is "believed to have been hired" by FIFA following advice from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, the U.S. law firm working on its behalf (BBC.com, 7/16).
TRAFFIC JAM: In N.Y., Clifford & Rashbaum report Traffic Sports USA President & CEO Aaron Davidson "is in talks for a plea deal" in the midst of his alleged involvement in the FIFA bribery scandal. Included among the evidence prosecutors have gathered are "audio recordings in multiple languages; bank, wire transfer, and other financial records; contracts in multiple languages; emails, text messages, and other correspondence in multiple languages; meeting minutes; travel records; handwritten notes" and records seized via search warrants at the CONCACAF offices in Miami (N.Y. TIMES, 7/17).
