The Facts
On Tuesday, French anti-corruption officers searched the Olympic organizing committee’s headquarters in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis and the offices of SOLIDEO, the public body that’s coordinating building projects for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) said it was looking into allegations of embezzlement of public funds and favoritism in contracts awarded that stemmed from a preliminary investigation that was launched in 2017.
The Spin
Narrative A
French Pres. Emmanuel Macron emphasized how important it would be for his country to host an Olympics free of corruption or other issues, and now his reputation could be tarnished. Based on other recent scandals, it seems it’s impossible to host an Olympics without some form of corruption casting a shadow over the Games.
Narrative B
Sure, Paris could become the third straight Summer Games organizer to be caught up in a corruption crackdown – following Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo – but those cities have something else in common; their Olympic Games went off without a hitch. When the dust settles, no one will remember anything except the exceptional displays of athleticism at the Paris Games.
