Public pays for officials’ wrongs

By Dana Stern Sr., Canyon Country, Calif.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015 | 2 a.m.

FIFA is responsible for regulating world soccer. For some time, the United States Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service used an informant, Chuck Blazer, who was a top-level member of FIFA. He wore a wire at meetings with other top-level members. Blazer was an informant when he, too, was caught taking bribes, laundering money and evading income taxes.

More than $150 million was involved in money laundering and bribes. Fourteen members of FIFA have been indicted. It appears that decisions made by FIFA officials were motivated by bribes and kickbacks.

It is a sad commentary on mankind that graft and corruption continue to abound almost everywhere. Every day we hear in the media that elected officials, members of law enforcement and the corporate community cannot seem to obey the law.

In China, sentences for graft and corruption are harsh. Death sentences have been handed out in China.

Here in the United States, elected officials, members of law enforcement and the corporate community are sentenced to substantial prison sentences at “Club Fed,” which refers to minimum-security prisons where inmates live in fear of going to tougher prisons if they misbehave.

In some cases, those convicted of graft and corruption are forced to make restitution. In many cases, misappropriated funds are hard to find or retrieve.

It is the law-abiding public that ends up paying for graft and corruption!