BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s former foreign policy chief resigned on Thursday as head of a prestigious institute of European studies after becoming embroiled in a fraud investigation over a training program for junior diplomats.
Federica Mogherini said she was stepping down as Rector of the College of Europe, based in the Belgian city of Bruges, and as of the European Union Diplomatic Academy.
Mogherini's statement gave no reason for the resignation, saying only that she had done so “in line with the utmost rigor and fairness with which I always carried out my duties.”
“I am proud of what we have achieved together, and I am deeply grateful for the trust, esteem, and support that students, faculty, staff, and Alumni of the College and the Academy have shown and are showing to me,” she said.
As the EU’s top diplomat from 2014 to 2019, Mogherini was responsible for supervising the Iran nuclear talks, leading efforts to improve long-strained relations between Serbia and Kosovo, and a host of other foreign policy and security issues.
The arrest and resignation of the former Italian foreign minister could tarnish the EU’s image on the world stage as it seeks to assert influence in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The bloc has been urging Ukraine to tackle rampant corruption.
Mogherini was detained for questioning Tuesday, along with a senior college staff member and a senior official from the European Commission, after authorities in Belgium raided the offices of the EU diplomatic service in Brussels and the college in Bruges. They were later released as they were not considered a flight risk,
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered the raids over suspicions about the awarding of a project for the European Union Diplomatic Academy, which is a nine-month training program for junior diplomats across the EU's 27 member countries.
The project was awarded by the European External Action Service (EEAS) to the College of Europe in 2021. Prosecutors are investigating whether college staff or their representatives were informed in advance about the selection criteria for the tender procedure.
Prosecutors said they have “strong suspicions” that “confidential information related to the ongoing procurement was shared with one of the candidates participating in the tender.” They said their allegations “concern procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy,”
No outside actor, or country, has been named so far in the investigation.
Mogherini's successor as EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, ran the EEAS at the time the project was awarded. The budget for the diplomatic academy is relatively small. Around 1.7 million euros ($2 million) to cover spending on the training program from July 2024 to June 2025.
In a statement on Wednesday, Mogherini said that she “clarified” her position with investigators during the questioning. “I have full confidence in the justice system, and I trust that the correctness of the College’s actions will be ascertained,” she said.
Mogherini’s lawyer, Mariapaola Cherchi, told The Associated Press that her client was “transparent, clear and serene” during her 10-hour questioning, and was confident that Mogherini would be cleared.
The college said it would cooperate with the investigation and that it “remains committed to the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and compliance — both in academic and administrative matters.”
The corruption scandal is one of a growing number to hit European institutions.
Revelations of a cash-for-influence scheme dubbed Qatargate, involving EU lawmakers, assistants, lobbyists and their relatives, emerged in 2022. Qatari and Moroccan officials were alleged to have paid bribes to influence decision-making. Both countries deny involvement. No one has been convicted or is in pretrial detention, and prospects for a trial are unclear.
In March this year, several people were arrested in a probe linked to the Chinese company Huawei, which is suspected of bribing EU lawmakers.
FILE -European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, right, attends a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the EU Council building in Brussels, Nov. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
FILE - European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini speaks during a media conference at the European Convention Center in Luxembourg, on Oct. 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
Miami (5-7) at New York Jets (3-9)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Dolphins by 2 1/2.
Against the spread: Dolphins 6-6; Jets 7-4-1.
Series record: Dolphins lead 62-57-1.
Last meeting: Dolphins beat Jets 27-21 on Sept. 29, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Last week: Dolphins beat Saints 21-17; Jets beat Falcons 27-24.
Dolphins offense: overall (25), rush (17), pass (27), scoring (24).
Dolphins defense: overall (23), rush (29), pass (15), scoring (19).
Jets offense: overall (27), rush (7), pass (32), scoring (25).
Jets defense: overall (17), rush (25t), pass (10), scoring (27).
Turnover differential: Dolphins minus-4; Jets minus-12.
RB De'Von Achane. He has been Miami's best playmaker this season and has rushed for at least 120 yards in each of the past three games, powering the Dolphins' resurgent run game that has averaged 176.7 yards during the team's three-game win streak. Achane has also been huge in the pass game with 54 catches for 370 yards, along with his team-high 186 carries for 1,034 yards.
WR Adonai Mitchell. Seen by some as merely a throw-in as part of the trade that sent star cornerback Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis, Mitchell has emerged as a go-to receiver in New York's offense — especially with star Garrett Wilson on injured reserve with a knee injury. Mitchell had a breakout performance last week when he set career highs with eight catches and 102 yards and his first NFL TD against the Falcons, giving him 11 receptions on 25 targets for 154 yards in three games for the Jets.
Jets' run defense vs. Achane. New York struggled against the run early, but had been a lot stingier lately — until Bijan Robinson ran all over the Jets for 142 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons last week. Robinson also caught five passes for 51 yards, putting up 193 total yards. Achane will provide another tough test for the Jets. He has run for 428 yards and three TDs in his past three games and caught 11 passes for 96 yards.
Dolphins: OL Aaron Brewer (ankle/neck/knee), DB Elijah Campbell (ankle) and S Ifeatu Melifonwu (thumb/groin) were listed as questionable to play. ... CB Rasul Douglas (foot) and FB Alec Ingold (neck) were limited in practice Wednesday, but practiced fully the rest of the week and removed from the injury report.
Jets: Wilson (knee) remains out for at least one more game on injured reserve. ... Backup QB Justin Fields (knee), CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (hip) and LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball (hamstring) were ruled out. ... CB Qwan’tez Stiggers (concussion) and S Tony Adams (groin) were listed as questionable, but should play.
The Dolphins have won five of the past six meetings, with the Jets' lone win in that stretch coming in last season's finale — 32-20 — in New York on Jan. 5, 2025. ... The Jets have won two of the past three played at MetLife Stadium. ... Tagovailoa is 7-0 against the Jets and 6-0 as the Dolphins' starting quarterback. ... Mike McDaniel is 5-2 against the Jets as Miami’s head coach.
The Dolphins have won four of their past five and three straight after opening the season 1-6, which was Miami's worst start under McDaniel. During their winning streak, the Dolphins have 95 carries for 530 yards, and their 5.6 rushing average is the third-best mark in the NFL since Week 10. ... The Dolphins have rushed for more than 160 yards in each of their past three games for the first time since Weeks 12 through 14 in 2002. ... Achane has six rushing touchdowns and four TD receptions this season, making him one of just three players in NFL history with five-plus TD runs and three-plus TD catches in each of his first three seasons. ... Achane has four 100-yard rushing games this season. ... The Dolphins have seen a dramatic improvement in their defense over the past four weeks. Since Week 10, Miami leads the league in points allowed per game (14.3) and is tied for second in red zone efficiency (33.3 %), allowing only two touchdowns on six red zone visits. ... LB Jordyn Brooks is one of only two players this season with 100 tackles, multiple sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. ... Brooks reached 792 career tackles in Miami’s Week 13 victory over New Orleans. He's only the fifth player since 2000 to reach that mark in the first six seasons of his NFL career. ... The Jets have won three of five since opening 0-7 in Glenn's first season as coach, but will be eliminated from playoff contention for the 15th straight season — the NFL's longest active drought — with a loss or tie. ... QB Tyrod Taylor will make his third consecutive start in place of the benched Justin Fields. Taylor was 19 of 33 for 172 yards and a touchdown pass and also ran for 44 yards, becoming the sixth quarterback since 2000 to start and win a game with at least six franchises. He joined Ryan Fitzpatrick (seven) and Matt Cassel, Case Keenum, Josh McCown and Joe Flacco, who all had six each, according to Elias. ... RB Breece Hall is 166 yards rushing from his first 1,000-yard season. ... The Jets have no interceptions, an NFL record for a team through its first 12 games. The fewest for an entire season is two by San Francisco in 16 games in 2018. ... S Malachi Moore had a season-high 10 tackles against the Falcons and became just the seventh Jets rookie defensive back in the past 30 seasons to have at least that many, according to Stats Perform. ... K Nick Folk had his first field goal miss of the season last week after opening by making his first 20. But he bounced back by making his next two against the Falcons, including a winning 56-yarder as time expired. It was Folk's 16th game-winner, which ranks him third among active players behind Buffalo's Matt Prater (21) and Denver's Wil Lutz (20). ... Folk needs three more field goals to join Pat Leahy as the only Jets with 200 or more with the team.
If he's still available in your league, Mitchell could make for a solid late-season add as a WR3 entering the fantasy playoffs.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (15) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) hands the football to running back De'Von Achane (28) during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
