Romney not worried about Olympic fallout

Mitt Romney, who was elected governor of Massachusetts after leading the 2002 Winter Games, said Thursday he's not worried about the upcoming Olympic bribery trial tarnishing his political career.

"I have so much political fallout of my own that I have very little concern about Olympic fallout," Romney told the Deseret Morning News during a brief visit to Utah. "The Olympics are my source of pride and joy. And that's not going to change."

The Massachusetts governor said he has not been asked to testify in the trial of Salt Lake bid leaders Tom Welch and Dave Johnson on charges related to the more than $1 million in cash and gifts given to members of the International -Olympic Committee.

Romney, of course, wasn't involved in the bid. The Boston businessman didn't come to Utah until 1999, when he was recruited by Gov. Mike Leavitt and others to take over the troubled Salt Lake Organizing Committee at the height of the bid scandal.

He stayed until shortly after the 2002 Games ended, then headed home to run a successful campaign for governor of a largely Democratic state. Thursday, he returned to Utah for the first time since February's one-year anniversary celebration.

This trip, made to mark the opening of the new Olympic Caldron Park at the University of Utah, was much more relaxed. In February, Romney had to leave before the celebration even began because the nation had been put on a heightened terror alert.

Romney was loose enough Thursday to joke about the possibility of being called as a witness in the Olympic trial, scheduled to begin on Oct. 28. "Hey, I love to visit Utah. If someone wants me to show up, fine," he said, laughing.

He was more serious about the effect the trial could have on Leavitt's political fortunes. Utah's governor is reportedly on witness lists for both the defense and the prosecution, and he is expected to testify at the trial.

President Bush announced earlier this month that Leavitt is his choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Leavitt's Senate confirmation hearings could come at the same time as the trial.

"I imagine no one looks forward to a trial. But one has a civic duty, and I expect he'll get that behind him," Romney said. "Everything is used in politics for political advantage. But ultimately, I think a person's capability wins out."