The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced today that it will intervene in the qui tam False Claims Act suit filed by relator Floyd Landis against Lance Armstrong and others: United States ex rel. Landis v. Tailwind Sports Corporation, et al. According to the DOJ press release, the Government "notified the court that it was joining the lawsuit’s allegations as to Armstrong, Bruyneel, and Tailwind" and that it will file a formal complaint within 60 days. DOJ, however, stated that it will not be intervening as to all the defendants named in the case. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ronald C. Machen Jr., stated: “Lance Armstrong and his cycling team took more than $30 million from the U.S. Postal Service based on their contractual promise to play fair and abide by the rules – including the rules against doping . . . . . The Postal Service has now seen its sponsorship unfairly associated with what has been described as ‘the most sophisticated, professionalized, and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.’ 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. In today’s economic climate, the U.S. Postal Service is simply not in a position to allow Lance Armstrong or any of the other defendants to walk away with the tens of millions of dollars they illegitimately procured.”
The DOJ press release announcing its decision to intervene may be found here.
A. Brian Albritton
February 22, 2013
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