DeFrantz Denies Knowing of Aid to IOC Member

International Olympic Committee Vice President Anita DeFrantz of Los Angeles on Wednesday again denied any knowledge of the apparent buying and selling of votes during Salt Lake City’s winning campaign for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

DeFrantz, who has repeatedly stressed her innocence, made her comments in response to a U.S. Olympic Committee report that details her 1998 contact with the IOC member from Mali, Lamine Keita.

At the time, he was seeking a graduate-school scholarship at an American university for his son, Moriba--who by then had received $97,275 in “tuition assistance” at Howard University from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.

DeFrantz said that neither Lamine nor Moriba Keita mentioned the SLOC aid to her. She also said she told the elder Keita that his son needed to take out a loan for graduate school.

The elder Keita was among six IOC members expelled earlier this year for their role in the Salt Lake scandal; four others have resigned. DeFrantz said Wednesday she believes “in the essential importance of integrity,” adding, “That’s the way I live my life.”