Federal authorities believe that Sepp Blatter’s top lieutenant at FIFA made $10 million in bank transactions that are central elements of the bribery scandal engulfing international soccer, several law enforcement officials said Monday. The revelation puts the money trail closer to Mr. Blatter, FIFA’s president, than had been previously known.
Jérôme Valcke, the soccer organization’s secretary general, is the unidentified “high-ranking FIFA official” who prosecutors say transferred $10 million in 2008 from FIFA to accounts controlled by another soccer official, Jack Warner, the law enforcement officials said. The payment is a key piece of last week’s indictment accusing Mr.