Salt Lake City's Olympic bribery charges reinstated
Dave Johnson,
41, former Vice President of the Salt Lake City Olympic bid committee.
AFP PHOTO/George FREY
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AFP) A United States federal appeals court has reinstated felony charges against two men alleged to have plied IOC members and their relatives with cash, college assistance and expensive gifts prior to the Salt Lake City Olympics.
Dave Johnson and Tom Welch, both central figures in the 2002 Winter Olympics bribery scandal that forced 10 members of the IOC to resign or be expelled, are being charged with conspiracy, fraud and bribery-related racketeering.
The appeals court ruling means that the indictment brought by federal prosecutors in July 2000 is valid and the case may proceed to trial.
The tenth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver last Tuesday reversed the November 2001 ruling by US District Judge David Sam who had dismissed the case against Welch and Johnson.
Judge Sam had ruled that the government's case was flawed, claiming that the state bribery law was vague. He also noted that the state had not brought bribery charges against the two.
However the Circuit Court disagreed with
Sam, stating: "While we seriously doubt the Utah Legislature
would endorse a 'win at all costs' approach in regard to the Olympic
Winter Games, whether it might is irrelevant".
Federal prosecutors allege Welch and Johnson created a conspiracy
to buy votes from members of the International Olympic Committee
members involved in voting on the venue of the 2002 Winter Olympics,
and then attempted to conceal their actions.
Welch and Johnson have never denied plying IOC members and their relatives with cash, college assistance and expensive gifts, but insisted their tactics were well-known to bid committee members.
If a trial does proceed, many leading figures in government and business in the state stand to be called as witnesses. Governor Mike Leavitt, one of those expected to be summoned, issued a statement Tuesday calling for the case to be dropped.
"I reflect the will of the community when I say it is unfortunate that federal prosecutors have continued to press this case," Levant said.
"Those charged have endured enough. The community's time is best spent moving forward and magnifying the superb legacy left by the Games."