U.S. False Claims Act Case Against Lance Armstrong to Proceed

A federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled last week that the U.S. Justice Department may proceed with its False Claims Act lawsuit against Lance Armstrong, alleging that the cyclist defrauded the government when he accepted sponsorship money from the U.S. Postal Service  while taking performance-enhancing drugs, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

Armstrong argued that the case should be dismissed on the grounds that USPS willfully ignored the doping prevalent in the sport while reaping millions of dollars from the publicity generated by the cyclist provided under the sponsorship.  Attorneys for the embattled cyclist also argued that the suit is time-barred under applicable statutes of limitation, as the government’s allegations involve events that occurred more than nine years prior to the filing of the lawsuit.  The Justice Department took the position that Armstrong’s cycling team defrauded the government when it accepted the sponsorship money while violating the terms of the sponsorship agreement, which required the team to follow the bylaws of cycling’s governing bodies.  Armstrong admitted to doping last year and was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. 

Floyd Landis, a former teammate of Lance Armstrong, initiated the lawsuit under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act.  The Act allows private parties with knowledge of fraud against the government to sue on behalf of the government and share in the recovery.

The Chanler Group, in association with the Hirst Law Group, represents whistleblowers who take action under the False Claims Act to report fraud committed against the federal and state governments.  We have years of experience representing whistleblower clients who expose every kind of fraud against the government, including health care fraud, contract fraud, and tax fraud.  Read more about our expertise in False Claims Act cases and how you can take action.