The indictments released by the United States Department of Justice show that some of the offenses include agreements regarding sponsorship of the Brazilian national soccer team by a major U.S. sportwear company. Immediately after the indictments were released, NIKE released a statement saying that it was cooperating with the authorities.
Nike and Brazil signed a 10-year $160 million deal to sponsor the national team in 1996 and it was renegotiated in 2008 through 2018.
Last year, it was reported that Jose Hawilla, owner of the Brazil and Florida based sports marketing firm Taffic Group, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for, among other things, accepting and passing along bribes and kickbacks in connection with the Nike/Brazil deal
The recently released Justice Department indictment says that Hawilla and a Brazilian official engaged in other corrupt deals in the years following the Nike contract.
Jeffrey Newman represents whistleblowers.
