U.S. probes Nike payments under Brazil soccer deal: WSJ

U.S. authorities are examining payments made by Nike Inc (NKE.N) under a 1996 soccer sponsorship deal with Brazil for possible evidence of wrongdoing by the company or others, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Although Nike has not been named or charged with any wrongdoing yet, the company was swept into the corruption scandal that engulfed soccer's governing body FIFA when a U.S. indictment released last month described apparent kickback payments linked to a landmark 1996 Nike deal in Brazil. The U.S. indictment said that in the 1996 deal "Sportswear Company A" - apparently Nike - agreed to pay $40 million in "marketing fees" that were not in its initial contract with the CBF to the Swiss bank account of an affiliate of Brazilian sports marketing firm Traffic.

U.S. probes Nike payments under Brazil soccer deal: WSJ source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-probes-nike-payments-under-002300451.html