A House Judiciary Committee inquiry is putting FIFA’s Trump relationship beside a proposed commercial restructuring tied to Joshua Kushner, with Gianni Infantino defending FIFA’s business direction.
House Judiciary Committee Democrats are scrutinizing FIFA’s relationship with Donald Trump and his orbit as the soccer governing body weighs a major commercial restructuring linked to Joshua Kushner. The inquiry, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, asks FIFA president Gianni Infantino for records related to Trump, his administration and the Trump Organization, while separate reporting from Politico describes a plan to move FIFA’s commercial operations into a new subsidiary.
The overlap is what makes the fight politically sensitive. Democrats are not just questioning public closeness between Infantino and Trump. They are also examining FIFA’s U.S. business presence, including its Trump Tower office, at the same time a Kushner-linked proposal could reshape how FIFA handles major revenue streams.
What Democrats are asking FIFA to explain
In a July 26, 2026 letter to Infantino, House Judiciary Committee Democrats sought records involving FIFA’s contacts with Trump, his administration and the Trump Organization, according to reporting on the request. The committee also requested that Infantino appear for a transcribed interview.
The inquiry focuses on whether FIFA’s relationship with Trump and his associates has created governance or conflict-of-interest concerns. The available evidence does not establish that FIFA, Trump, Infantino or Kushner broke the law.
Democrats are using the request to press for transparency around gifts, payments, benefits and related communications. The committee also sought visitor logs for FIFA’s office space in Trump Tower, according to The Guardian’s account of the letter.
The Kushner-linked commercial plan
According to Politico, Infantino is advancing a proposal that would place FIFA’s major commercial operations into a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise. The reported plan would consolidate media rights, sponsorships, ticketing, hospitality, licensing and other commercial operations while leaving FIFA’s nonprofit governing structure intact.
Politico reported that FIFA’s 211 national member associations would vote on the proposal. Under the reported structure, participation would be voluntary, and each federation that joins could receive an ownership stake worth around $20 million.
The proposal has drawn attention because of Joshua Kushner’s role in discussions around the plan. Joshua Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
Supporters can frame the plan as a business modernization effort that gives national federations a direct stake in FIFA’s commercial growth. Critics see a governance question: whether FIFA should tie a major business shift to a figure connected to Trump’s family network while its Trump relationship is already under political review.
Why Trump Tower matters to the inquiry
The Trump Tower issue gives Democrats a concrete part of FIFA’s U.S. footprint to examine. The New York Times reported in June 2026 that FIFA had leased office space on the 17th floor of Trump Tower and that rent went to Trump’s family business.
That reporting is separate from the July 26 committee letter, but it helps explain why lawmakers are asking for records tied to FIFA’s Trump-related contacts. The committee’s request for visitor logs suggests Democrats want to understand how the space has been used and who may have been involved.
FIFA’s defenders have presented Infantino’s outreach to Trump as practical relationship management around major soccer events. Democrats are pressing a different question: whether that relationship has blurred lines between sports governance, political access and business interests.
Infantino’s defense is about FIFA’s business direction
Infantino has pushed back against critics. Politico reported that he published a 15-slide Instagram post accusing critics of spreading hate and false rumors while defending FIFA’s work.
The commercial argument for FIFA Forward Enterprise is that a separate business arm could manage FIFA’s revenue-generating rights more efficiently while the nonprofit governing body remains in place. Under Politico’s account, the member associations would decide whether to approve the plan.
That defense does not answer every governance concern. A structure can be commercially attractive and still face scrutiny if lawmakers or soccer officials believe the process creates conflicts, access questions or reputational risk.
FIFA’s history raises the stakes
The scrutiny lands on an organization with a well-known corruption history. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice prosecuted more than two dozen high-level FIFA officials and sports-marketing executives.
That history gives Democrats a ready argument for oversight: FIFA has been through major corruption scandals before, so new business arrangements and political relationships deserve close examination.
European critics have also raised concerns. Politico cited Carolina Morace, a former Italian soccer star and member of the European Parliament, arguing that the World Cup belongs to federations, fans, athletes and communities rather than investment funds.
The next test is inside FIFA
The immediate question is whether Infantino can keep support from FIFA’s 211 member associations as the proposed commercial structure moves toward a vote. If the plan offers federations a valuable ownership stake, many members may view it through a financial lens.
For House Judiciary Democrats, the goal is to keep FIFA’s Trump relationship in public view while the organization considers a major business shift. For FIFA, the challenge is to show that its U.S. presence and commercial plans are being handled through transparent governance rather than political proximity.
Until those questions are answered, the Trump Tower office and the Kushner-linked proposal will remain central to the scrutiny around Infantino’s next move.
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