An independent ethics panel appointed by the SLOC
released its report yesterday detailing abuses in the
bidding process for the 2002 Winter Games. In N.Y., Longman
& Thomas report that it "provides the most detailed account
to date" of Salt Lake City's "desperate campaign to win the
Games." It also shows that a fifth of the IOC delegates
"received one form or another of improper benefits." An
additional ten IOC members were implicated in accepting
various gifts and gratuities, on top of the 14 members that
have "already been tied to the widening scandal." The
report "laid much of the blame for ethical violations" on
former SLOC officials, Tom Welch and Dave Johnson. Both
have denied wrongdoing. The report also disclosed that USOC
officials "worked shoulder to shoulder with local Olympic
officials" in various efforts to secure the Games. But the
committee calls the violations "ethical not criminal."
Longman & Thomas: "[Tuesday's] report will further embarrass
the I.O.C., which is already reeling from its largest
corruption scandal." One of the transgressions included two
members of the Salt Lake City bid committee flying to
Washington, DC, to help the daughter of an IOC member move
her furniture to a new apartment (N.Y. TIMES, 2/10). In
Chicago, Philip Hersh reports that the total value of the
gifts and payments made to IOC members and relatives "could
total" $4M (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/10). In Toronto, Randy
Starkman calls the SLOC report "far more reaching than the
investigation" led by IOC VP Dick Pound. The SLOC ethics
board "had a month longer" to work on it and "it's clear the
panel also invested more effort" (TORONTO STAR, 2/10).
Pound said yesterday that he was "not surprised" that the
SLOC report had "more information" than his did last month.
Pound: "We'll review it and take advantage of the work
that's already been done." He said all cases of improper
conduct will be handled at the IOC's special session in
March. Pound added the IOC may need to consider using
outside investigators to continue to target "bad apples."
Pound: "If it's beyond our capacity to do it, we obviously
will have to think about what to do" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL,
2/10). In DC, Amy Shipley reports that USOC officials
"insisted" yesterday they "were not part" of the Salt Lake
"vote-buying scheme" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/10).
