Winter Olympic Games 2000

George Mitchell is right: The culture of gift-giving and special favor that permeates the Olympic site-selection process is a mess in need of immediate custodial care. The bigger the broom the better. But what about what happens after the bid has been won and the Games are underway and the International Olympic Committee is in town, rolling up its sleeves for three weeks of wining, dining and free tickets to swimming, gymnastics and track and field?

In the first breach of sponsor solidarity tied to the Olympic corruption scandal, Johnson & Johnson has pulled back from a $30-million deal to help underwrite the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. The New Brunswick, N.J.-based health-care giant, a longtime supporter of the U.S. Olympic team, said it backed away primarily because of internal disagreements about how to unite the company's many brands under a single sponsorship for the Olympics.

Wednesday's Olympic dog-and-pony show was hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee and held in Washington, all the easier for the buck to be passed up Capitol Hill and placed on President Clinton's desk. While conceding that USOC oversight over the Salt Lake City bid campaign was "abysmal," USOC President Bill Hybl announced he had sent a letter to Clinton asking the White House to ride to the rescue, round up the guys in the black hats (i.e.

In his best-selling book last year, "The Death of Outrage," former drug czar William J. Bennett vented about the lack of public outcry over the behavior in the oval office of one William J. Clinton. Well, I've got good news for outrage fans such as Bennett. The International Olympic Committee is doing its best to revive it.

In his best-selling book last year, "The Death of Outrage," former drug czar William J. Bennett vented about the lack of public outcry over the behavior in the oval office of one William J. Clinton. Well, I've got good news for outrage fans such as Bennett. The International Olympic Committee is doing its best to revive it.

In the first breach of sponsor solidarity tied to the Olympic corruption scandal, Johnson & Johnson has pulled back from a $30-million deal to help underwrite the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. The New Brunswick, N.J.-based health-care giant, a longtime supporter of the U.S. Olympic team, said it backed away primarily because of internal disagreements about how to unite the company's many brands under a single sponsorship for the Olympics.

Robert Helmick, the former U.S. Olympic Committee president who resigned from the International Olympic Committee in 1991, said he spoke out about corruption within the IOC six years ago, only to have his allegations dismissed. "I'm certainly not surprised by the type of activities that are going on in Salt Lake City, because they've been going on for years," Helmick said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Wednesday's Olympic dog-and-pony show was hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee and held in Washington, all the easier for the buck to be passed up Capitol Hill and placed on President Clinton's desk. While conceding that USOC oversight over the Salt Lake City bid campaign was "abysmal," USOC President Bill Hybl announced he had sent a letter to Clinton asking the White House to ride to the rescue, round up the guys in the black hats (i.e.

George Mitchell is right: The culture of gift-giving and special favor that permeates the Olympic site-selection process is a mess in need of immediate custodial care. The bigger the broom the better. But what about what happens after the bid has been won and the Games are underway and the International Olympic Committee is in town, rolling up its sleeves for three weeks of wining, dining and free tickets to swimming, gymnastics and track and field?

Robert Helmick, the former U.S. Olympic Committee president who resigned from the International Olympic Committee in 1991, said he spoke out about corruption within the IOC six years ago, only to have his allegations dismissed. "I'm certainly not surprised by the type of activities that are going on in Salt Lake City, because they've been going on for years," Helmick said in a phone interview Wednesday.