The fast-moving FIFA bribery scandal now has a Clinton connection, after news that the nation of Qatar and its 2022 World Cup organizing committee - and even FIFA itself - donated between $1.3 million and $5.55 million to the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

The scandal-hit football world authority is listed by the foundation as having handed over at least $50,001 and as much as $100,000 to the Clinton's controversial organization in a direct cash injection at some point before 2014.

There were also far larger donations from the Qatari committee which won the Middle Eastern nation its position as host of the 2022 World Cup, and Qatar's government.

The committee is listed on the foundation's website as having donated between $250,001 and $500,000, while the government of Qatar gave at least $1,000,000 and potentially as much as $5,000,000.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch held a press conference on Wednesday in New York to discuss the wide-ranging FIFA corruption case

A graphic called The Enterprise showing the hierarchy at FIFA is displayed during a news conference announcing an indictment against nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives for racketeering, conspiracy and corruption at a news conference in the Brooklyn borough of New York

SMOKE, NO FIRE (YET): Hillary Clinton's family foundation collected at least $250,001 from Qatar's WOrld Cup committee

It's unclear how much of the money changed hands before December 2010, when Qatar won the rights to host the event. The foundation's website only notes that some of the State of Qatar's money came last year.

FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is the World Cup's governing body.

It is unclear what the body's direct donation was for - the only information provided about the transfer of cash was rough quantity and the fact that it was not made in 2014.

Fourteen people including seven of its top FIFA officials were charged Wednesday with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.

The FIFA officials, including vice president Jeffrey Webb, were arrested at a five-star hotel in Zurich, Switzerland and dragged out in handcuffs by Swiss authorities earlier in the day.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the indictments, including some against commercial sports marketers in the United States.

The defendants are accused of taking kick-backs and other bribes in exchange for awarding contracts and other FIFA perks to favored companies, nations and individuals.

Ironically, it's a similar charge to what the Clintons and their sprawling philanthropic organization have faced since April.

Hillary Clinton in particular has had to begin her second run for president under the shadow of claims that her family foundation reaped a windfall – and her husband cashed in on lucrative speeches – in exchange for official favors from the State Department she ran from 2009 to 2013.

The power couple will likely claim that Qatar's success with a World Cup bid and its donations to their foundation are unrelated.

The foundation's website praises the Qatari World Cup committee for being 'committed to utilizing its research and development for sustainable infrastructure at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to improve food security in Qatar, the Middle East, and other arid and water-stressed regions throughout the world.'

And Bill Clinton himself was reportedly livid beyond words when the U.S. lost the bid for the 2022 tournament.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported then that he was so angry after the announcement that Qatar had won that he closed the door to his hotel suite and hurled an object at a mirror, shattering the glass.

Australia and Japan were seen as likely rivals who might have won soccer's ultimate quadrennial event, but not Qatar. The country at the time lacked the basic requirements, including a large enough soccer stadium.

The 'sustainable development' initiative linked to the Clinton Foundation includes a plan to use carbon neutral solar power to fuel air conditions in five stadiums yet to be built.

It's unlikely that the Clinton Foundation was bribed for Bill's support, since the U.S. was in the running and Clinton himself was instrumental in guiding that effort.

But Qatar itself is not above corrupt maneuvering.

A graphic showing the flow of money (legitimate and corrupt) between sports martketing companies and FIFA officials is displayed during the conference by U.S. officials investigating the football world governing body

A Qatari firm linked to the World Cup bid paid former FIFA vice president Jack Warner and his family more than $2.17 million.

And Mohammed Bin Hammam, Qatar's most senior football official at the time, reportedly orchestrated another $3 million in bribes to FIFA members in exchange for their votes.

Bin Hammam was alleged to have used 10 secret accounts to make dozens of payments, including some to 30 African soccer associations' leaders. Those cash recipients were in a position to lobby Africa's four 'executive' FIFA members to vote for Qatar.

Bin Hammam ran for the presidency of FIFA in 2011 but ended up being banned after he was caught trying to buy votes in the process.

A RAID ON FIFA'S CORRIDORS OF POWER: THE HIGH-RANKING EXECUTIVES WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND THE OTHERS WHO ARE FACING CHARGES ARRESTED Jeffrey Webb The highest profile of those arrested, Cayman Islander Webb is the current FIFA vice president and executive committee member, CONCACAF president and Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) president. The 50-year-old (right) was born and lives in the Cayman Islands and was previously been hailed by Sepp Blatter as the potential successor to the position of FIFA president. He was one of several FIFA officials to call for the publication of the Garcia Report into allegations of corruption surrounding Russia and Qatar's bids for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. He is also a member of FIFA's Strategic, Finance, Organising World Cup and Emergency Committees. He was pictured with FA President, Prince William, at a gala dinner to celebrate the Football Association's 150th anniversary in October 2013. Eugenio Figueredo Former footballer and now Uruguayan FA executive. The 83-year-old (right) is a former president of CONMEBOL, the South American football federation. He has U.S. and Uruguayan citizenship and took over from Nicolas Leoz as CONMEBOL president in 2013. He was President of the Uruguayan FA from 1997 until 2006. Costas Takkas A former general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association. The 58-year-old is an advisor to the CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb and is a former CIFA general secretary. The U.S. Department of Justice lists his nationality as United Kingdom and he is understood to have studied at Imperial College in London in 1970s. He and his wife own a £500,000 home near Turnpike Lane tube station in North London. He works for the Sonnen technology and mining company. Jose Maria Marin Vice-president of the Brazil Football Federation (CBF) and its former president. The CBF were the football organisation who handed out controversial £16,000 Parmigiani watches at their congress in Sao Paulo a year ago when Marin was chief of the association. Marin, 83, is a currrent member of the FIFA organising committee for the Olympic football tournaments. Marin (right) was Brazilian FA president from 2012 to 2015 and was a former striker for Sao Paulo. Marin caused controversy in 2012 when he was accused of pocketing a medal during a youth football tournament. Marin was caught on camera and described the incident as 'a real joke'. Julio Rocha Current FIFA development officer issued with the task of 'working with Member Associations in identifying and implementing future projects within their respective regions'. The 64-year-old (right) is a former Central American Football Union (UNCAF) president and Nicaraguan soccer federation (FENIFUT) president. Eduardo Li Current FIFA executive committee member-elect, he is the CONCACAF executive committee member and Costa Rican soccer federation (FEDEFUT) president. A civil engineer, he became President of a Second Division club in 2002 and then head of the Costa Rican FA five years later. The Costa Rican national (right) was due to join FIFA’s executive committee on Friday. The 56-year-old also oversaw the hosting of last year’s Under -17 Women’s World Cup in his native Costa Rica. Rafael Esquivel Current CONMEBOL executive committee member and Venezuelan soccer federation (FVF) president. He was appointed head of the FVF in 1988, making him one of the longest serving executives in South American football. He also sits on FIFA's disciplinary committee. Esquivel, who was born in Tenerife, Spain in 1946, moved to Venezuela at the age of four, when his family fled the Franco dictatorship in his homeland. NAMED ON U.S. INDICTMENT, BUT NOT YET ARRESTED Jack Warner The 72-year-old is a former FIFA vice president and executive committee member. In 2007, he described England as an 'irritant', but retracted a year later when the Three Lions agreed a friendly against Trinidad & Tobago and apologised. In 2006, after being instructed by FIFA to investigate Warner, Ernst & Young estimated that Warner's family had made $1million from reselling 2006 World Cup tickets. Subsequently, a fine of around that figure was imposed on Warner and his family. In 2013, the CONCACAF Integrity Committee produced a report which accused Warner and his former cohort Chuck Blazer of mismanagement and massive fraud. It alleged that Warner concealed his ownership of the land on which CONCACAF's 25 million dollar Joao Havalange Center of Excellence was built, which made him the effective owner of the building. Warner said: 'As far as I am aware it is baseless and malicious. I left CONCACAF and turned my back on football two years ago. Since then I have had no interest in any football-related matter.' Nicolas Leoz The Paraguayan, 86, is a former sports journalist and was president of CONMEBOL from 1986 until 2013. He was named in court in 2008 as having received of £700,000 in bribes from a Swiss marketing firm. In 2010, the BBC’s Panorama programme claimed Leoz had taken bribes in the 1990s in relation to the sale of World Cup TV rights. In May 2011, the then head of the English FA, Lord Triesman, accused Leoz of requesting an honorary knighthood in reward for supporting a World Cup bid for England. He has denied the allegations. Email correspondence later revealed Leoz asked for the FA Cup to be named after him. All nine were named in a 47-count indictment at a federal court in New York, charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, among other offences. Advertisement



