Infantino faces prospect of US subpoenas as FIFA draws tax complaint
FIFA president Gianni Infantino could face congressional subpoenas as early as January over the governing body’s ties to Donald Trump, while a separate complaint asks US tax authorities to examine allegations that a FIFA affiliate paid a worker at his Miami home.
US lawmakers could seek to compel Gianni Infantino to provide documents and testimony as they consider widening an inquiry into FIFA’s relationship with Donald Trump and his family, according to The Telegraph.Jamie Raskin, the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is in line to chair the panel in January after Democrats won control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, putting him in a stronger position to pursue records he first requested in July.A committee source told The Telegraph: “We continue to have serious questions about Fifa’s practices and payments around the World Cup, have not received sufficient information from them.“All investigative options are very much on the table, though no decisions have been made.”Raskin sought records of FIFA’s contacts with Trump, his administration and the Trump Organisation, and committee members criticised the governing body’s response in September as “woefully inadequate."FIFA disputed that account of its dealings with the committee, saying: “Fifa has had, and continues to have, productive discussions with the house staff.“There has been no indication that they were anything other than pleased with our proactive engagement, and we look forward to addressing any of their remaining questions.”The inquiry could also examine FIFA Forward Enterprise, the abandoned plan to bring private investors into a company that would oversee commercial operations for the World Cup and other FIFA competitions.The proposed lead investor was Thrive Eternal, founded by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared is Trump’s son-in-law, and The Telegraph reported that members of the Kushner family could be called to give evidence, although a subpoena for Trump was not expected at this stage.Suhas Subramanyam, a member of the separate House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said: “I support investigating anyone involved in corruption that impacted the American people or taxpayer dollars, directly or indirectly.“Infantino isn’t going to be our top priority, but given his involvement with the Trump/Kushner family, Infantino could become a subject of investigation.”Separately, Washington lawyer Abed Ayoub has filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service asking it to examine whether a worker who provided domestic services at Infantino’s Miami residence received compensation or benefits through a FIFA affiliate, according to The Guardian, which reviewed the complaint and supporting documents.The complaint said: “If organisational funds or resources were used to pay for services benefiting a leader’s household, the arrangement raises serious questions about private benefit, financial reporting, compensation, and governance.“The materials also raise questions about the accuracy of representations in employment, payroll, tax, and immigration records.“We ask the agencies to investigate the underlying records and determine what occurred.”FIFA rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing over the housekeeper’s employment arrangements, and a spokesperson said: “Matters related to the Fifa president’s personal and home life are private; however, for the avoidance of any doubt, the costs of any domestic staff are met by the Fifa president personally.”The Telegraph previously reported that Infantino had asked Carlos Cordeiro, a contact with the Trump administration, to help secure a work permit for the worker, while a spokesperson for Raskin told The Guardian that the Judiciary Committee had not requested records concerning her employment but was following developments closely.The filing does not establish that the IRS has opened an investigation, but FIFA’s US tax-exempt status could come under review if the agency takes up the complaint and substantiates its claims.The congressional inquiry has already drawn attention to Infantino’s award of FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize to Trump and to Trump’s public acknowledgement that he lobbied Infantino over the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun during the 2026 World Cup.The White House has previously dismissed Raskin’s inquiry as partisan and defended the economic success of the tournament, while the prospect of demands for evidence in January would put the congressional process on a timetable that overlaps with Infantino’s campaign for re-election in March.