Lance Armstrong News - Lawsuits: Ex-Cyclist Goes Postal on USPS

If there's one thing Lance Armstrong was known for, it was challenging his opponents to catch him. He may be off the bike, but it seems some things haven't changed. 

The Justice Department has now decided to join a civil suit filed against the embattled cyclist in a whistleblower case filed by Armstrong's former teammate, Floyd Landis. The suit claims that Armstrong and his associates defrauded the United States Postal Service by covering up their part in the doping scandal. According to U.S Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr. Armstrong "took more than 30 million from the U.S. Postal Service based on the contractural promise to play fair and abide by the rules."  The suit alleges that he defrauded the USPS by about $31 million from 2001 to 2004. 

If you're wondering why Landis would file a lawsuit against his former teammate, thoughts of fair play, righting a wrong or reinstating integrity to a sport that's become the poster child of performing enhancement drugs come to mind. Of course, it could also be about money.  Although the $31 million could severly damage Armstrong's reported $125 million net worth, in federal whiste-blower cases, a judge or jury can award triple damages pushing the tab to over $90 million of which Landis would be entitled a share. 

For his part, Armstrong claims that the statute of limitations on such cases has expired. His legal team will also contend that either the government knew or should have known about such widespread doping on the team, but chose to do nothing about it, according to those close to the case.

"The defendants agreed to play by the rules and not use performance enhancing drugs" according to a written statement by Mary Anne Gibbons, a Postal Service General Counsel. Such statements may be the foundation of the government's case, but Armstong will contend that he never entered into a contract with the USPS or the government, but Armstrong's management team Tailwind Sports, who never claimed their riders wouldn't use PEDs. 

As with most civil cases, efforts are being made to settle to avoid a costly and risky trial. According to the New York Times, Armstrong is seeking a settlement that offers $5 million dollars, but he also is seeking to avoid criminal prosecution.