One year before it elects new officers, the USOC faces
conflict of interest questions about the process and the leading
candidate, according to USA TODAY. Bill Hybl, interim USOC
president from '91-92, is the favorite for a four-year term as
USOC president. However there are questions over the fact his El
Pomar Foundation, which recently gave $100,000 in grants to USA
Basketball and offered five years' free office space to the
International Softball Federation. Officials from both
federations are on the USOC nominating committee. Hybl says El
Pomar has given more than $9M to Olympic causes and he had no
intention to influence votes. The nominating committee presents
the final slate by late June (Allen & Dodd, USA TODAY, 11/16).
Christine Brennan reports in today's WASHINGTON POST that Hybl
has pulled El Pomar's bid to the Softball Federation and said he
would follow any recommendations by the USOC's ethics oversight
committee. The ethics committee has made no formal accusation
and Hybl says since he decided to run for USOC President in
February, El Pomar has made no grants to national governing
bodies (WASHINGTON POST, 11/17). Hybl: "It's important to
remember in these grants the organizations came to us. We don't
go to them" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE-TELEGRAPH, 11/17).
