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DOJ Asks Supreme Court to End Lopez and Full Play Soccer Bribery Prosecution

The government seeks to undo the appeals-court reinstatement to allow a dismissal in the trial court.

Overview

  • Federal prosecutors told the Supreme Court they now want the case dismissed "in the interests of justice" and requested a remand for that purpose.
  • Solicitor General filings ask the Court to hear Hernan Lopez’s appeal, reverse the July decision that reinstated convictions, and return the case to the district judge.
  • Lopez and Argentine firm Full Play were convicted by a New York jury in 2023, later won a post-trial acquittal, and then saw the convictions reinstated this summer.
  • Prosecutors offered no detailed public explanation for the reversal, while Lopez said on X that he was grateful and confident more truth will emerge.
  • The move comes as observers note shifts in federal anti-corruption enforcement this year, including DOJ unit cuts and a presidential pause of a foreign anti-bribery statute.