Hernan Lopez, former executive of 21st Century Fox and Full Play Group, arrives at Federal Court in Brooklyn New York City, U.S., March 2, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Dec 10 (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have moved to dismiss fraud charges against a former Fox executive convicted of trying to bribe soccer officials in exchange for lucrative broadcasting contracts, the latest twist in a long-running case targeting high-level corruption in international soccer.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a Tuesday court filing that the government had determined dismissing its case against Hernan Lopez would be in the interests of justice, though he did not elaborate.
Lopez said in a statement Wednesday that the charges were baseless from the start.
"Throughout my career, I’ve always held myself to the highest standard of ethics and professionalism, and while this ordeal was incredibly trying on me and my family, I’m grateful the truth prevailed," Lopez said.
A representative of Nocella's office declined to comment on the government's filing.
Lopez was among more than 40 to face criminal charges in a sweeping U.S. Department of Justice probe unveiled in 2015 into soccer corruption, including at the sport's world governing body FIFA.
Prosecutors said Lopez, a former chief executive of Fox International Channels, schemed to bribe officials at South American soccer federation CONMEBOL to win rights for that continent's most popular club tournament, Copa Libertadores.
The move comes months after an appeals court reinstated the 2023 conviction against Lopez.
The decision overturned U.S. District Court Judge Pamela Chen's decision to set aside the verdict because a federal law addressing honest services wire fraud did not apply to foreign commercial bribery.
The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether to hear Lopez's appeal.
In a court filing Wednesday, the government asked the justices to overturn the appeals court's decision and send the case back to Chen so it could be dismissed.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward and Jack Queen; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Franklin Paul and Bill Berkrot)
