Posted on 02/23/2013 11:42:36 PM PST by ExxonPatrolUs
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States accused cyclist Lance Armstrong on Friday of defrauding the U.S. Postal Service by taking its sponsorship money at the same time he was doping and using performance-enhancing drugs in violation of cycling rules.
The government joined a civil suit against Armstrong, stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life from cycling in 2012 after accusations he had cheated for years. In January, he said the accusations were true in an interview with television host Oprah Winfrey.
A battle with the U.S. government over civil fraud charges threatens to sap what remains of the once-revered athlete's reputation, and hurt his wallet.
Armstrong and his teammates from Tailwind Sports wore the logo of the U.S. Postal Service during their record-breaking wins.
"This lawsuit is designed to help the Postal Service recoup the tens of millions of dollars it paid out to the Tailwind cycling team based on years of broken promises," Ronald Machen, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., said in a statement.
The sponsorship money totaled more than $30 million, the government said.
Armstrong plans to contest the suit because the Postal Service was not actually damaged, his lawyer, Robert Luskin, said.
"The Postal Service's own studies show that the service benefited tremendously from its sponsorship - benefits totaling more than $100 million," the lawyer said in a statement.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
This American "champion" has survived all the scrutiny over the years until now.
Everything Obama touches goes bad. He's done NOTHING - not one thing to make America look good.
Another sociopath falls.
Armstrong signed up for every Tour de Lancet all on his own.
“Winner” = death by a thousand lawsuits.
Obama the “winner” also has spent years staying at the top of his chosen sport by cheating. Might be a lesson for the One in all of this. Doubt he’d get it, though. Even Oprah would probably shun him.
Yep thats the fact that most people miss. Armstrong has all of the behaviors of a sociopath..
>> Armstrong has all of the behaviors of a sociopath..
Armstrong 2016!
Riiiiight....
I pay for my hobby!!!! I don't need a chimp to tell me the rules!!!!!!!!!
TTT and stashed!
keyboard spew alert
Yup. I find it hard to see how Armstrong can be show as damaging the post office.
Well I’m glad we have the money to spare so we can take this dangerous criminal down.
I’m with the lying cheater on this. The Postal Service was not harmed by this fraud. I don’t know why an endorsement from even an honest bicyclist would affect decisions on whether to mail a letter or package, but the dishonesty was discovered so long after the fact that it cannot be a factor. As with most civil lawsuits, this is frivolous.
I think LA is an ass, and deserves a lotta grief. But...
but my first thought was countersue. HARD. When he was under contract, he delivered. That NOW he is found to be a cheater back then, well that does not alter/remove/invalidate the benefit the USPS and everyone got from association at the time. Nor will it ever.
And I hope this disuades any other famous person from promoting the govt., for money or otherwise. Because obviously they will sue you later if they think they can get their money back...and keep the benefit YOU (celebs/athletes) provided.
Welcome to a Dictatorship, Soviet style. Soon, Lance will be digitally removed from all media/pix/stories etc.
Tight spandex, a funny looking helmet and a faggy bicycle = over 30 million bucks?
As much as an Austin Liberal Douche Armstrong was.....if the postal service own study showed it benefitted sponsoring Armstrong.....their claims should be thrown out of court. If not.....then the judge in the case will be in on the fix. Its pretty basic legal precedent that in order to claim damages....there must be damages
If (and it's a big "if"), the contract had some sort of a morals clause that is shown to include illegal drug use, then his use of drugs is a breach. There is no "I made you better off than the alternative" defense to breach of contract.
The guy is not even near the level of a cheat and fraud like the current CIC. Why don’t we see them demonize him? Sure Lance cheated by using performance enhancing drugs. No other athlete has ever done that in the history of sports, right?.../s
They’re pouring it on a little thick IMO. Lance is just another whipping boy that’s newsworthy and the MSM are like the little nerds that used to get weenies and are just exacting their revenge against another jock...lol
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