But when it comes to the retelling of his Olympics story, Romney never mentions the L word. Lobbyist.

Romney wasn’t just the head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. Romney was also a registered lobbyist for the organization, Utah state records show.

Romney last worked as a lobbyist on Dec. 31, 2000, according to a spokesman for the state lieutenant governor, who oversees the registry.

As a lobbyist and president of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, Romney didn’t just stabilize the balance sheet. He brought in a record $1.3 billion in federal dollars for Salt Lake City’s games and more from Utah. In 1996, the Atlanta Summer Olympics cost U.S. taxpayers $609 million. The Salt Lake Tribune wrote in March 2000: “If charming state lawmakers were an Olympic event, Mitt Romney would be draped in a flag about now, singing the national anthem.”

And for what it’s worth, in December 2000, while Romney was still a lobbyist, he donated nearly $6,000 to the Utah House Republican Elections Committee