Feb. 8, 2001

Strong words today coming from the two men largely credited with winning the Games for Salt Lake City.

Tom Welch and Dave Johnson were back in court with their defense team trying to get the charges against them in the Olympic scandal dropped.

But it was outside the court where the pair let loose their feelings about the case.

The motto for the 2002 Olympic Games is "Light the Fire Within." But for Olympic defendants Tom Welch and Dave Johnson, it might as well be "Fight the Powers that Be."

If they're worried about their case, publically they aren't letting on.

Dave Johnson/Former SLOC Vice-President: "WELL, I THINK WE'LL LEARN A LOT TODAY. HAVE TO WATCH. BUT IT'S A GREAT DAY. ONLY ONE YEAR TO THE GAMES."

Federal prosecutors accuse the pair of masterminding a million dollar scheme to bribe IOC members to win the Games for Salt Lake.

But Welch and Johnson feel powerful leaders, like Governor Mike Leavitt and Salt Lake Olympic President Mitt Romney, have orchestrated a campaign to make Welch and Johnson scapegoats for the scandal.

This morning on The Today Show, Katie Couric asked Mitt Romney if there was a cover-up in this case. Romney said "No." In fact, he said, it was Salt Lake that cleaned things up.

Mitt Romney/SLOC President: "IT WAS SALT LAKE CITY THAT BLEW THE WHISTLE. IT WAS THE MEDIA IN SALT LAKE AND OTHERS WHO SAI, 'WE'RE NOT SWEEPING THIS UNDER THE RUG. WE'RE PUTTING THIS OUT IN THE OPEN.' AND FACT IS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A FULL ACCOUNTING OF WHAT WENT ON AND WHETHER THERE WERE INNOCENTS OR GUILTY INDIVIDUALS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED AND MAKE SURE THERE'S A FULL ACCOUNTING."

Dave Johnson/Former SLOC Vice-President: (Q:) "HE WAS ASKED IF THERE'S BEEN A COVERUP IN THIS CASE, AND HE SAID 'NO.'" (A:) "WELL, I THINK HE'S LYING." (Q:) "WHY?" (A:) "I THINK THE ETHICS COMMITTEE, WELL THAT WAS HEADED BY THE GOVERNOR'S PERSON. IT WENT THE WAY THEY WANTED IT TO GO. I THINK THE DECISIONS, THE WAY IT WAS GOING TO GO, WERE MADE BEFORE IT STARTED."

Tom Welch/Former SLOC President: "I THINK THE FACTS HAVE YET TO COME OUT. I THINK THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY AND THIS STATE HAVE SEEN EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. THIS STORY WILL NOT GO AWAY UNTIL THE TRUTH IS TOLD." (Q:) "DO YOU THINK THERE'S BEEN A COVERUP?" (A:) "SURE, SURE THERE'S BEEN A COVERUP. IF NOT A COVERUP, CERTAINLY PEOPLE RUNNING FOR COVER WHO OTHERWISE SHOULD HAVE STOOD UP."

In the courtroom, Welch and Johnson's lawyers essentially contend that Justice Department prosecutors stretched the law to fit this case.

But prosecutors forcefully defended their case, saying Welch and Johnson committeed fraud and conspiracy, and they can prove it if there's a trial.