There is a special place where bald-faced ambition meets outsized ego. It is a barely humane entity littered with sub-species of Machiavellian deceit where crucial decisions are made daily that truly impact billions of people. It's called Washington, the capital of the free world, and in one of life's more delicious ironies it could also be the place that spells the end to the kleptocratic scourge behind the people who run international football and the unscrupulously cunning gnome that leads them. Even Fifa, and their embattled leader Sepp Blatter, are quickly learning that they are no match for the US government When the shameless tackle the shameless, always go with the one that has endless resources. Even Fifa, and their embattled leader Sepp Blatter, are quickly learning that they are no match for the US government, a fact that was hammered home once again last week when American attorney general Loretta Lynch and her Swiss counterpart Michael Lauber held a joint press conference in Zurich. Back in May, Lynch's office issued a series of indictments in a US$150 million bribery and racketeering conspiracy against 14 Fifa related officials that resulted in a sweeping roundup by Swiss police. Seemingly working in unison, Lauber's office also announced at the time that they were investigating possible corruption in the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and 2022 to Qatar. Lauber said last week that they had now seized properties in the Swiss Alps as well as additional evidence during searches of houses in western Switzerland while Lynch added, "We do anticipate pursuing additional charges against individuals and entities." She also refused to comment if Blatter was being targeted but some questions hardly need answering. So far the biggest names ensnared have been former Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb and a pair of buffoons, US soccer kingpin Chuck Blazer and Trinidad's Jack Warner. The US Department of Justice simply does not engage in an operation of this scale unless the ultimate goal is not only Blatter's shiny scalp, but the complete implosion of Fifa and its inherent apparatus. Careers are not defined by nailing the likes of Blazer or Warner, a couple of jokers whose larceny was so brazen that you could pin them to the wall with a thumbtack. Lynch operates in a backstabbing town where every single action is stage managed for maximum effect and what better way to understand the culture of Washington then through Netflix's peerless drama House of Cards . Kevin Spacey deftly plays the unscrupulous Frank Underwood, who ascends all the way to the presidency of the United States. It is a chilling and calculating journey, both Shakespearian and Machiavellian in it's scope, and reveals an endless stream of undesirable characters with a penchant to indulge in Frank's stated ethos of "ruthless pragmatism". Washington is not for the faint of heart and while Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump may be an entertaining distraction, rest assured this town will eventually eat him up and spit him out. A little more than a year before the 2008 presidential election former New York mayor and fellow publicity hound Rudy Giulanni was the prohibitive Republican favourite and how did that work out? Washington routinely devours interlopers and intruders, and it would appear to be a place where an operator like Blatter would seemingly flourish, except for the fact that he would be way out of his depth. Seemingly secure in his Swiss fortress, Blatter underestimated the lengths to which Lynch would go. You cannot become the number one law enforcement officer in the country with more than 110,000 people working underneath you unless you are endowed with a fair bit of ambition yourself. In 2012, Lynch allowed HSBC to basically walk after a Senate investigation revealed evidence the bank had laundered close to a billion dollars for an odious collection of drug cartels and terrorist groups. Lynch fined HSBC US$1.9 billion, but no one did any jail time. Blatter looks at all that and is left asking, why me? We are chump change in comparison. But because there is absolutely no downside to bringing Fifa down they have now become, thankfully, little more than roadkill. Such is their overwhelming villainy that Lynch will be hailed as a hero and Swiss authorities seen as finally being proactive towards white-collar crime. Sorry Sepp, but the ruthlessly pragmatic are well versed in knowing which fights to pick and avoid.