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    Marketing Exec Aaron Davidson Pleads Not Guilty In FIFA Scandal

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1390 Views
    In this Feb. 17, 2011, photo, Aaron Davidson, then-Fort Lauderale Strikers President and CEO, speaks during a press conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Michael Laughlin, The South Florida-Sun Sentinel via AP)

    By Tom Hays

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    A sports marketing executive from Florida pleaded not guilty on Friday to conspiracy and other charges stemming from the FIFA corruption scandal.

    Aaron Davidson entered the plea through his lawyer in federal court in Brooklyn, becoming the first defendant in the sprawling case to be arraigned in a U.S. court. He was released on $5 million bond secured with homes owned by he and his wife and other family members.

    Davidson was arrested in Miami on Wednesday, the same day U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, FBI Director James Comey and other officials announced the case at a news conference in New York City. None mentioned his arrest and he was escorted to Brooklyn by the FBI, suggesting he is cooperating like four other defendants who have pleaded guilty.

    Both Davidson and his lawyer declined comment as they left the courthouse.

    Davidson, 44, was among the 14 people named in racketeering indictment accusing soccer officials of accepting more than $150 million in bribes. Prosecutors say they took the cash in exchange for rigging bids by marketing firms for commercial contracts that generate billions of dollars in revenue and by countries seeking to host the 2010 World Cup.

    The indictment accuses Davidson of being involved in a $3 million bribe sought by a FIFA vice president and executive committee member in 2012. The bribe resulted in a $24 million contract with Davidson's firm, Miami-based Traffic Sports USA Inc., that gave it marketing rights for World Cup qualifying matches, it says.

    The indictment also describes a 2014 meeting in New York between Davidson and an unnamed co-conspirator to discuss the bribery schemes.

    "Is it illegal? It is illegal," it quotes Davidson as saying about the arrangements. "Within the big picture of things, a company that has worked in this industry for 30 years, is it bad? It is bad."

    A statement posted Friday on the Traffic Sports website said the company would continue normal business operations while it cooperates with authorities. Prosecutors say the firm, which owns the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in mid-May.

    Davidson's next court date was set for July 17.

    Category:News
    Tags:FIFA



    A Closer Look At Proposed Measures Designed To Curb Google’s Search Monopoly

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade.

    The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice could radically alter Google's business, including possibly spinning off the Chrome web browser and syndicating its search data to competitors. Even if the courts adopt the blueprint, Google isn't likely to make any significant changes until 2026 at the earliest, because of the legal system's slow-moving wheels.

    Here's what it all means:

    What is the Justice Department's goal?
    Federal prosecutors are cracking down on Google in a case originally filed during near the end of then-President Donald Trump's first term. Officials say the main goal of these proposals is to get Google to stop leveraging its dominant search engine to illegally squelch competition and stifle innovation.

    "The playing field is not level because of Google's conduct, and Google's quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired," the Justice Department asserted in its recommendations. "The remedy must close this gap and deprive Google of these advantages."

    Not surprisingly, Google sees things much differently. The Justice Department's "wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court's decision," Kent Walker, Google's chief legal officer, asserted in a blog post. "It would break a range of Google products — even beyond search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives."

    It's still possible that the Justice Department could ease off on its attempts to break up Google, especially if President-elect Donald Trump... Read More

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