Overview
- A federal judge in Brooklyn accepted the Justice Department’s request Wednesday to dismiss the indictment against Hernan Lopez and Argentine firm Full Play, with U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella saying the case “doesn't fit” the administration’s priorities.
- Lopez and Full Play were convicted at trial in 2023 for paying tens of millions in bribes for soccer broadcast rights, then granted an acquittal by Judge Pamela K. Chen and had that acquittal reversed by the Second Circuit before appeals continued.
- In December the DOJ told the Supreme Court that dismissing the case was “in the interests of justice,” and the department emphasized in filings that its decision applies only to this prosecution and not to other convictions or guilty pleas in related FIFA matters.
- Lopez left the courthouse saying he was relieved and calling the case one “that never should have started,” while FIFA and prosecutors said the dismissal would not directly affect other defendants’ convictions.
- The dismissal follows other high‑profile withdrawals during President Donald Trump’s second term and raises questions about how the department’s narrowed priorities may affect future public‑integrity prosecutions and internal staffing.