Feb. 3, 2000
The ethics board of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee admitted today that it's report last year is not "the final word" on the Olympic bribery scandal.
News Specialist John Daley has been following this story and has our report.
For a year now top leaders in the Olympic effort have used this 300-page report by the Ethics Board to assert their innocence.
But recently new details of the scandal have come out, details not addressed by the board.
It's becoming increasingly clear that, at best, this report only tells part of the story of just who was responsible.
The Salt Lake Olympics are now nearly two years away.
But the scandal charges on, and it's a bumpy road ahead.
The report by the Olympic Ethics Committee, released last February, was the "official" answer to "allegations of wrongdoing..during the bid effort."
The investigation provided 300 pages worth of details about gifts, scholarships, payments and other unethical behavior.
But today that same board backtracked, saying their report is by no means definitive.
The board declined to answer any specific questions about the report that's been frequently used as political cover, as a defense to questions made to leaders and insiders in Salt Lake's Olympic effort.
By former SLOC President Frank Joklik--when the report was released.
Feb. 1999/Frank Joklik/Former SLOC President: "I DO NOT SEE ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO SAY I DID ANYTHING WRONG."
By top Olympic lawyer Jim Jardine, who has called the report the "gold standard."
Jim Jardine/Attorney for SLOC: "IT'S AN EXEMPLAR OF REPORTS."
By the Governor, when asked about his role in the scandal.
Gov. Michael Leavitt/(R) Utah: "THE ETHICS REPORT RAISES THIS WHOLE ISSUE AND LAYS IT OUT. THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING NEW HERE."
But the report barely addresses the role of Joklik and Jardine; not once does it mention the Governor, even though all three were--by all accounts--significantly involved in the effort to win the Games.
Today the Ethics Committee declined to answer specific questions about any individuals, once more standing by their report, which a year ago essentially blamed the two men who admitted what they did--former President Tom Welch and Vice President Dave Johnson--and excused their local Olympic colleagues.
What will the Justice Department do?
No one knows, and Justice isn't saying.
But some close to the investigation speculate that there will be new indictments in late March or early April.
