OLYMPICS SPONSORS SEEK ANOTHER SCANDAL HEARING
WASHINGTON -- Corporate sponsors of the Olympics are seeking another Senate hearing on the Olympic bribery scandal to allow them to publicly call for better reform.Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., is considering that request, committee press secretary Pia Pialorsi said Wednesday.
She said sponsors are urging him "to have a hearing so they can express urgency for cleaning up the process."
McCain has already scheduled a hearing for April 14 on the need for reform arising out of recent scandals -- but no Olympics sponsors were scheduled to testify at it.
Instead, the committee has invited International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch, officials of the U.S. Olympic Committee and members of ethics panels that have proposed reforms.
McCain and Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, have called for a review of the tax-free status of the IOC in America as leverage to force it to operate more openly and democratically.
The threat of removing the IOC's tax-free status could hit the IOC hard since a majority of its worldwide sponsors are U.S. companies.
Pialorsi said McCain met Tuesday with IOC Vice President Anita DeFrantz who is also a board member of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Games. "He said it was a very cordial meeting and discussed progress being made on reform."
EX-FBI AGENT ARRESTED IN S.L. ON FRAUD COUNTS
A former FBI agent was arrested in Salt Lake Monday after being indicted by the U.S. District Court in Oregon for investment fraud charges.
John Kammerman, a 23-year veteran of the bureau, who worked white collar crimes in Los Angeles, faces 13 federal counts of wire and interstate transportation of money taken by fraud, according to a statement released by Salt Lake special agent in charge David Tubbs.
Prosecutors allege Kammerman caused several investors to lose more than $2.75 million.
Kammerman apparently retired from the bureau to Salt Lake City several years ago, FBI special agent George Dougherty said.
He is scheduled to appear in a federal district court in Eugene, Ore., April 2.
LEAVITT SIGNS MEASURES TO IMPROVE UTAH SCHOOLS
Gov. Mike Leavitt on Monday signed bills aimed at ensuring a quality teacher in every classroom and requiring 10th-grade basic skills exams for high school graduation.
Students first take the test in the 10th grade but have the rest of their high school careers to pass it.
The Utah Orderly School Termination Act strengthens the process for teacher evaluation and training and also establishes criteria for acceptable performance and licensing qualifications.