The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are looking into the findings of a 2015 BBC’s investigation which was launched following the unusual decision to award the athletics event to Eugene without a formal bidding process.
The BBC contended that IAAF president, Lord Sebastian Coe, may have lobbied IAFF and his predecessor, Lamine Diack, to hand over the event to Eugene.
Diack is being separatelly investigated in France for allegedly having received around US$ 1,3 million from the Russian athletics federation in exchange for covering up positive doping tests.
The British publication also claimed that Coe may have acted under the influence of sport giant Nike, whose birthplace is located nearby. Nike funds much of the University of Oregon's sports facilities.
Coe was a Nike ambassador at the time, with an annual salary of about US$ 130,000. He had to quit this role following allegations of conflict of interest. In addition, the Eugene bid was led by Vin Lananna, an executive from Track Town USA which is closely tied to Nike.
In support of its investigation, the BBC published internal emails it had obtained, among which an email dated January 2015, Nike Executive Craig Masbackto explains to Lananna and Robert Fasulo, both from Track Town USA, that Coe contacted Diack about the 2021 championship.
It reads : Seb "made clear his support for 2021 in Eugene but made equally clear he had reached out to Diack specifically on this topic and got a clear statement from Diack that 'I am not going to take any action at the April meeting (in Beijing) to choose a 2021 site'."
Other evidence suggest that Lananna visited Diack at this period and raise questions regarding the probity of IAAF’s decision.
