Mayor mumbles lies yet again !

Daley sows confusion on his Olympics guarantee


Mayor Richard Daley at a news conference today. (David Pierini/Chicago Tribune)

Posted by Dan P. Blake and David Heinzmann at 4:15 p.m.

Mayor Richard Daley today attempted to dampen the political firestorm he sparked while overseas last week when he told Olympics officials that Chicago would financially guarantee the 2016 Summer Games.

His remarks this afternoon, however, only further confused the issue.

The mayor, back in Chicago and addressing the issue locally for the first time today, seemed to contradict his own statements in Switzerland, as well as the public remarks of Chicago 2016 chief Pat Ryan and International Olympics Committee President Jacques Rogge.

“We agreed to sign a host city agreement with the provisions of the city, state and the insurance policy as added on to the host city agreement. That's what it's going to be and that is our protection for the taxpayers of the city of Chicago,” Daley said today with Lori Healey, Chicago 2016 president and the mayor’s former chief of staff, at his side.

But that version is markedly different from Daley’s remarks immediately after emerging from his June 17 meeting with the IOC, when he told the Tribune he had just agreed to sign the host city contract “as is.”

In a subsequent interview last week, the IOC's Rogge confirmed that Daley had agreed to sign the standard contract without modifications.

“The mayor said he will sign the host city contract. We have only one host city contract,” Rogge said at the time. “There is no amendment to the host city contract whatsoever from the IOC.”

Daley's remarks last week stirred up controversy in Chicago. Ryan and city bid officials have been trying to explain to angry aldermen and the public why the mayor did an about face and agree to sign the standard Olympics host city contract.

For months, the mayor and Olympic bid leaders had pledged not to sign the blanket financial guarantee that could put taxpayers on the hook if there are cost overruns beyond the $750 million level the city and state already have agreed to cover.

You can read an edited transcript of Daley's question and answer session here