Complaint filed to IRS in relation to Fifa head Gianni Infantino’s housekeeper
A complaint has been filed to the US Internal Revenue Service calling for an investigation into claims that an individual on FIFA's payroll worked as a housekeeper for FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The complaint, seen by the Guardian and supported by documents, claims an individual "performed domestic work exclusively for FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his wife, Leena Infantino, at their Miami residence, while receiving compensation or benefits through a FIFA-affiliated entity". It argues that senior leadership "have abused the entity's tax-exemption status".
FIFA currently holds 501(c)(4) status in the US, a designation for organizations "created to promote community welfare for charitable, educational or recreational purposes". If the IRS investigates and finds the claims proven, FIFA could lose this tax-exempt status.
The complaint further states: If organizational 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. We ask the agencies to investigate the underlying records and determine what occurred.
Political Scrutiny
The complaint comes as FIFA's activities, particularly Infantino's involvement in the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme and his relationship with the Trump White House, face intensified scrutiny from Democratic politicians in the US following the "blue wave" at the midterm elections.
A spokesperson for ranking House judiciary committee member Jamie Raskin confirmed the committee is "looking closely at those developments" though they had not yet requested documents related to the housekeeper issue.
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.
FIFA's Response
Fifa urged the media to "act responsibly" and stated there is "a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine Fifa and its president". The organization emphasized it "welcomes legitimate scrutiny" but will continue to challenge "inaccurate or misleading" reporting.
The complaint was submitted by Washington DC lawyer Abed Ayoub, who works in immigration law and has served as national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). Last year, the ADC was part of the Game Over Israel campaign, which called for Israeli football teams to be banned from international competition.
Blatter's Criticism
Infantino has been described by his predecessor Sepp Blatter as a "dictator" who "no longer knows any borders". Blatter, who served as FIFA president for 17 years before resigning amid a corruption scandal, made the remarks in an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel.
Blatter criticized the FFE scheme, the FIFA peace prize, and the overturning of Folarin Balogun's suspension for a red card during the World Cup. He described the peace prize as "embarrassing" and questioned why Infantino would award it to someone who "wages war against Iran shortly afterwards".
Regarding the FFE scheme, Blatter stated: "Infantino no longer knows any borders. He doesn't understand any of this." He called the Balogun controversy "the worst", saying: "Statutes can be interpreted. But rules of the game must apply to everyone, you can't interpret them."
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