Mayor Lionel Rivera faced more criticism Thursday over his role in the city's efforts to retain the U.S. Olympic Committee's headquarters in Colorado Springs, this time for arranging a meeting with executives of LandCo Equity Partners two weeks after the city asked LandCo and other developers if they were interested in providing new USOC facilities.

The latest criticism follows a conflict-of-interest complaint against Rivera, filed last month with the city's Independent Ethics Commission by a local businessman. The businessman alleged Rivera had business ties to LandCo Chairman Ray Marshall at the same time the mayor was representing the city in its talks with LandCo, a real estate company that was chosen to develop the new USOC facilities.

The Ethics Commission has launched a formal investigation of the complaint. On Thursday, Rivera said the businessman and his attorney have brought "unfounded allegations" against him.