DESPITE CLOSURE OF U.S. INVESTIGATION LANCE ARMSTRONG FACES NEW DOPING CHARGES

The United States Anti-Doping Agency or USADA which polices drugs in sports has issued a letter to Lance Armstrong that it intends on bringing formal charges that could cost Armstrong all of the titles he has won to date. This comes despite the February 4, 2012 dismissal of a 20 month long criminal investigation of Armstrong and his former professional cycling teams. That case was based on allegations of fraud conspiracy and other charges relating to violations of The False Claims Act concerning funding received from the U.S. postal service. The government’s financial outlay was at the heart of that case. The USADA case is not about the money, but accuses Armstrong and others in a pervasive pattern of doping using Erythropoetin (EPO); Blood transfusions; Human Growth Hormone and other drugs.Armstrong denies any doping allegations. Flloyd Landis brought a whistleblower action against Armstrong which is still under seal. That suit apparently alleges that government funds were misused, fraudulently obtained and the sums exceed $32 million. Under the law, if successful, Landis would be entitled to a percentage of the moneys recovered by the government. If the government chooses not to intervene in that action, some feel it will go nowhere.