REACTION TO THE SCANDAL
"I was sickened by the news of the bid scandal. Given the straitlaced, public face that the state of Utah seems naturally to exude, the media couldn’t resist jumping on the suggestion that this had all been a false front. There seemed to be an implied association of the scandal with the standing and character of the state and, further, with the Mormon church. Those who thought us Mormons to be too goody-two-shoes felt confirmed in their suspicions. I remember thinking what a shame it was that the entire community was being given a black eye by the seemingly unscrupulous actions of a flamboyant few.
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ON WHY HE TOOK THE OLYMPIC JOB
I later joked with the press that it was due to an overdeveloped community-service gene. And that wasn’t far from the truth. [Wife] Ann’s arguments [for taking the job] had resonance, but they had resonance because she knows my core beliefs and my life aspirations. She knows that somewhere deep inside, I hoped to commit myself to things greater than making a living or building a fortune. It was the spirit of service in one form or another — a family poltergeist that has haunted my ancestors for generations. It was the legacy of my heritage, and of my youth.
TURNING THE SHIP AROUND
The only way SLOC [Salt Lake Organizing Committee] and the community in Utah would turn things around in the wake of the scandal was for people to recognize the higher purpose of the Games. Great enterprises are driven by great values. Leaders establish values and values that motivate and create unity of purpose. Looking back, it was more difficult and more demanding than I had ever imagined. Had I known the level of effort that would be needed, it might have frightened me away. By the same token, it was more exhilarating, more fulfilling and more rewarding than any professional experience I have ever known.
INEPT PROSECUTION?
The federal government spent a great deal of time investigating the case. It indicted Tom Welch, the bid committee CEO, and Dave Johnson, his No. 2 man. Neither was ultimately convicted, a result widely circulated as vindication. Of course, not being convicted of a crime isn’t vindication of wrongdoing, and not all unethical behavior is criminal. Even when criminal conduct occurs, it may be difficult to prove — and that’s with effective prosecutors. I believe those who pursued Welch and Johnson were inept.
THE NEW SLOC
As I flew to Salt Lake City in February 1999, I knew that the first thing I needed to do was to draw a clear, bright, heavy line between what had happened before and what was going to happen in the future. In almost every way I could think of, the SLOC I would lead was going to be different from the SLOC led by Frank Joklik, Tom Welch and Dave Johnson.
SLOC MORALE WHEN HE TOOK OVER
Getting SLOC to be the organization that would rescue the Winter Games also meant aligning our culture with our mission. From my first meeting with the managers, it was clear that morale was in the basement. Months of accusations, devastating revelations of misconduct and disciplinary actions against senior officers had left a shell-shocked team. [Staff attorney] Kelly Flint characterized the time following the scandal bombshell: ‘Management spent weeks huddled in the boardroom of the SLOC office complex monitoring media reports and exchanging doomsday scenarios.’
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