Former CONCACAF and FIFA exec CHUCK BLAZER, who was a "central figure in the FIFA scandal that laid bare widespread corruption in international soccer," died yesterday at the age of 72, according to Longman & Ruiz of the N.Y. TIMES. The cause was rectal cancer, which he "had for years." In '13, as "part of a wide-ranging federal investigation into soccer-related improprieties that had started with his own failure to file a personal income tax return," Blazer "secretly pleaded guilty to 10 counts of criminal charges that included racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering." Blazer, a member of FIFA's exec committee from '97-'13, forfeited $1.9M to the U.S. and "cooperated with the authorities as a witness." His insider testimony "assisted a far-reaching inquiry that ultimately touched several nations, predominantly in South and Central America." Blazer became a USSF Exec VP in '84 and was "named general secretary" of CONCACAF in '90. According to federal charges against him, Blazer "profited from a number of moneymaking schemes, including the unauthorized sale of tickets to the World Cup, and received money smuggled in bulk and hidden in tax havens" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/13). The AP's Ronald Blum wrote with "girth, charm and a pet parrot, Blazer was a bon vivant as he made deals from an office and apartment in Trump Tower." As a member of FIFA's exec committee, Blazer was "central to the rise of the sport" in the U.S. Blazer was "banned from soccer for life" by FIFA on July 9, 2015 for his role in the scandal (AP, 7/12).
