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Salt Lake Organizers Get Reimbursed For Olympic Scandal Fees

A year after a federal judge dismissed the U.S. government’s case against former Olympic bid organizers Tom Welch and Dave Johnson, the National Union Fire Insurance Co. reimbursed Salt Lake City Olympic organizers for about $4 million in legal fees.

The insurance company refused to discuss terms of the settlement.

SLOC President Fraser Bullock said the settlement covered “some but not all” of the total cost.

Welch and Johnson were accused of bribing IOC delegates with $1 million in cash, gifts and favours to get the 2002 Winter Games for Salt Lake City.

The money was spent by organizers on attorneys and legal services for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, its top officials and former bid leaders during the 19-month federal investigation.

Bullock said the insurance settlement will leave SLOC with a greater profit from the Games, which produced a $56 million surplus on top of another $40 million for the upkeep of Utah Olympic Park and the Kearns speedskating oval.

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