"I don't want to go into it in a lot of detail because it resurrects a lot of old history," Leavitt said. "I wish I or others had known (about the alleged improprieties) and if others did know I wish they would have acted sooner."

Romney went so far as to encourage Welch to accept a plea bargain for the good of the Games, angering those in the community who believed Welch and Johnson had not acted alone and were unfairly targeted. Romney's request looked even worse when a federal judge threw out all 15 felony charges for insufficient evidence and praised Welch and Johnson's contributions to the Games.

"I can only imagine the heartache, the disappointment, the sorrow that you and your loved ones suffered through this terrible ordeal, "U.S. District Judge David Sam said, according to a court transcript. "My hope is that you will now be appropriately recognized and honored for your efforts."

Yet Romney had stigmatized Welch and Johnson, including barring their names from appearing with more than 20,000 other committee staffers and volunteers on a Wall of Honor at the city's Olympic Legacy Plaza.

"Mitt's objective was to look as good as he could," Welch said. "He showed a mean side as well as a competent side."

Romney angered lawyers on both sides of the case after the charges were dismissed by continuing to express doubt about Welch's innocence and describing the federal prosecutors in his book as "inept."

"Mitt Romney, as far as I know, was never in the courtroom, didn't review any of the evidence, and never asked the prosecutors for a summary of their case," said Richard Wiedis, the government's chief prosecutor. "I don't see how he was in a position to make a judgment as to the competence of the prosecution team."

Making the sale

As a businessman, however, Romney knew that nothing was more important than regaining the trust of potential sponsors. Raising money, and fast, was more important than winning court sanctions of Welch and Johnson.

Romney cast himself as the anti-Welch, the clean businessman who would restore integrity to the Games. Thus, the Olympics became a showcase for Romney's entrepreneurial abilities.

He personally won over D'Alessandro and then criss-crossed the country in helping to reap more than $300 million in additional sponsorships. Prohibited from soliciting companies in marketing categories that already had been claimed — Pepsi could not sponsor the Games, for instance, because Coca-Cola already had committed — Romney created more than 20 new categories, including an official Olympic cake mix (General Mills) and official meat (Certified Angus Beef).