Accusations that organisers of the Winter Olympics in 2002 paid for sexual favours for International Olympic Committee members could destroy the Mormon community's support for the games in Salt Lake City.
Deeda Seed, a city councilwoman, warned that, if proven true, the charges might well be the final insult to a devout area with conservative religious values, the heart of the Mormon church.
"The people of our community would be so horrified by that they may not want to have anything to do with the Olympics ever again," Seed told The New York Times.
That would be a stunning setback for organisers, who must count upon the goodwill of nearly 30,000 volunteers between now and the games, which IOC officials vow will not be moved.
The bribery scandal has already forced two top executives of the 2002 Games organising committee to resign, with an IOC probe also expected to force resignations from that body.
Direct cash payments of as much as $70,000 were made to IOC officials, who also received scholarships for relatives, free health care and lavish gifts from organisers in order to beat rival bidders.
In that atmosphere, it has become easy for Utah taxpayers who have financed the bid to believe their money went so IOC members could have sexual dalliances.
IOC vice-president Richard Pound, who is leading the IOC inquiry into allegations of corruption said the probe has not raised the issue of sexual favours.
"They can't even get their own dates? If it happened, it will all come out," Pound said.
Several IOC members are to be sent letters asking them to respond to allegations, the Canadian said.
Pound, who is seen as the likely successor to current IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch when the Spaniard retires in 2002, added that it was necessary to rid the organisation of unnamed "rotten apples".
"We have drawn up a list of members who are suspects and will be sending them letters early next week asking them to explain themselves," Pound told Swiss newspaper Sonntags-Zeitung.
Pound, who will submit a preliminary report to the IOC executive committee on January 24th, maintained that anyone found guilty would be expelled from the IOC.
Pound's inquiry is just one of four ongoing investigations into the 1995 Salt Lake City bid. Senator George Mitchell, who chaired the Northern Irish peace talks, is due to report back to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) on February 28th. The Salt Lake City Organising Committee (SLOC) has also set up an investigation, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation are also inquiring into the allegations.
