Gillespie: Romney retroactively retired from Bain Capital

(CNN) – Mitt Romney senior adviser Ed Gillespie said Sunday on CNN’s "State of the Union" the GOP candidate “retroactively” retired from Bain Capital after the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics began.

"You know, there may have been thought at the time that he could be part time," Gillespie told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley. "It was not part time. The Olympics was in a shambles. There was corruption. There was – the International Olympic Committee was going to pull the Olympics from the United States of America which would have been a huge embarrassment. Because of Mitt Romney's leadership skills he was called on to do it."

Gillespie continued, "He took a leave of absence and, in fact, Candy, he ended up not going back at all and retired retroactively to February of 1999 as a result."