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Subscribe to RSSLance Armstrong faces serious new legal trouble: The Justice Department has joined one of his former racing teammates in suing him for using performance-enhancing drugs during the Tour de France. NBC Justice Correspondent Pete Williams reports.
Lance Armstrong faces a powerful new adversary -- the United States government.
The Justice Department notified a federal court Friday that it is joining one of his former racing teammates in suing him for using performance-enhancing drugs during the Tour de France.
The government signed on to a lawsuit filed two years ago by Floyd Landis, one of Armstrong's former Tour de France teammates who has already admitted cheating. Among its claims: Landis saw Armstrong store and then re-inject his own blood to boost his performance, and Armstrong twice gave Landis banned hormones before races.
The government’s legal theory in joining the lawsuit is that when Armstrong agreed to race for the U.S. Postal Service team a decade ago in the Tour de France, he defrauded the government, violating its strict ban on illegal drugs, all the while claiming he did not use them.
Though the government’s action presents a serious new legal threat to Armstrong, the Justice Department case is not foolproof: Legal experts say Armstrong could argue that his contract with the team owners never explicitly prohibited blood doping, and he could claim that he never signed any agreement directly with the Postal Service that banned the practice.
But if the government wins, Armstrong could face huge fines, because the Postal Service paid at least $30 million to sponsor his racing teams.
Armstrong's attorney, Robert Luskin, said in a statement Friday that the Postal Service had no losses deserving of compensation.
"Lance and his representatives worked constructively over these last weeks with federal lawyers to resolve this case fairly, but those talks failed because we disagree about whether the Postal Service was damaged," Luskin said. "The Postal's Services own studies show that the Service benefited tremendously from its sponsorship -- benefits totaling more than $100 million."
After denying for years that he cheated, Armstrong gave a general admission last month in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
"This issue of performance enhancers, to me, we're going to pump up our tires, put water in our bottles and, oh yeah, that, too, is going to happen. That was it," he said.
The cycling website Velo News reported this week that Travis Tygart, the CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency, wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder last month, urging the government to join the Landis lawsuit.
A decision by the Justice Department to join the case “in order to get to the bottom (or top) of this massive fraud would also be viewed by the press and public as necessary and legitimate,” the letter said.
Joel Saget / AFP - Getty Images
The cyclist's historic run of Tour de France championships made headlines, as did his fall from grace after being stripped of the titles in 2012.
This story was originally published on Fri Feb 22, 2013 11:58 AM EST
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The "Justice" Dep't. refuses to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act or immigration law. Suing a guy who rides a bicycle because he is famous is a publicity stunt to distract attention froom the AG's contempt for the law.
This reminds me of the recovering coke head George W. Bush raising a fuss about steroids in baseball.
Betcha Lance didn't see this coming out of his "confession." Serves him right. He was still sitting pretty but not with the govt up his a$$......
Eric Holder's mental process: Illegal immigrants and criminals run rampant on our southern border, criminals are being released from custody by bleeding heart judges and going back to crime, Wall Street speculators are artificially driving up the price of life-support commodities; right: lets sue Lance! Why not go after a sure thing! It'll make DOJ look like a million bucks!
People like him make me sick! He's no roll model, he's a drug user. On top of that he wrecked his body and damn near killed himself and that didn't even stop him. I wonder if he had needed a new organ would he have been able to jump to the front of the line just because of who he is and his wealth? People that play these games with their bodies have no business accepting any body parts that could be given to someone more deserving. I am a diabetic and have been told to stop drinking alcohol and stop smoking which by the way I do neither, or I will not be eligible for any transplants if needed in my future. What makes these drug users better than some one else?
I am disgusted. What is wrong with our justice department? My God. Why are you bothering with Lance Armstrong when there are so many other large issues to prosecute? What a bunch of wimps.
Lance Armstrong is so screwed it is not funny!! But then again, he tapped into the gift that keeps giving, and that is bad Karma!!!!! If the Feds come after him the likelihood is that he will have to pay back the 30 million and some along with other damages being demanded by Landis and other related parties. See yeah, wouldn't want to be yeah!!!!
That's one way to recoup losses on a blotted, mismanaged agency of our government.
...the way the justice department does business, armstrong is likely to walk, and make money while doing it! just witness the justice department handling of the ted stevens case!
Just another waste of time and money that they do not have. How about going after some good old fashion criminals. Wait they would not get the face time in the media doing that.
What a waste of tax payer money. They will likely spend a couple of million in order to get several hundred thousand in fines. Besides, the USPS already has a clothing line deal, why bugger DopeStrong?
Oh wait, the attorney general Dick Holder is involved. No wonder why the Just-is department is moving forward with this crap.
I'm curious will there ever be a lawsuit against Billy the CLinton, the first black president, according to Toni Morrison, Presidential medal of freedom winner for doing pot? Or how about his Cocain habit, doing so much he had to quit because it made his head itch? No? Well what about willie Nelson?! Whenever willie gets caught and brought before a judge he doesn't get in trouble as long as he puts on a concert in the courtroom! Where is his lawsuit?! Remember kids don't do drugs leave them for losers like Billy and Willie! hee hee
Number 1, you have to wonder exactly why a broke government department would have any business sponsoring a professional bike racing team. As a tax payer, I am incensed that they would even spend money in that fashion. That being said, it appears that it was one of the more profitable things USPS ever did. So yes, Lance defrauded them, but they will never prove that they were financially harmed by Lance's action. They could win the lawsuit and be awarded 0 dollars in damages--another great use of taxpayer money.
Just another example of spending loads of money in a completely ridiculous manner... Aren't we looking at all sorts of scary spending cuts with the "sequester".
Did the US government suffer any damages because of this.? If not they are already whole and do not need to be made whole, so their lawsuit is frivolous and without merit. If there is fraud with no damages, then it is just a lie and not fraud.
Then we can sue the post office for throwing our money away. They lost so much money. Where did they get 30 million dollars to invest anyway.