Justice, Armstrong agree to settlement
Former cyclist will pay $5 million to settle lawsuit after PED use
Former cyclist Lance Armstrong has agreed to pay $5 million to the federal government to settle the government’s civil fraud lawsuit against him just weeks before the case was scheduled to go to trial with nearly $100 million at stake, Armstrong’s attorney confirmed Thursday to USA TODAY.
As part of the settlement, Armstrong also will pay $1.65 million to Floyd Landis, his legal enemy and former cycling teammate. Landis’ attorney, Paul Scott, confirmed Landis and his legal team will receive $2.75 million total from the deal, including $1.1 mil- lion of the government’s $5 million recovery from Armstrong as the whistleblower who brought this case to the government’s attention in 2010.
The Justice Department issued a statement Thursday saying, “No one is above the law.” The trial was scheduled to begin May 7 in Washington, D.C.
“A competitor who intentionally uses illegal (performance-enhancing drugs) not only deceives fellow competitors and fans, but also sponsors, who help make sporting competitions possible,” said a statement from Chad Readler, acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The federal government had sued Armstrong in 2013, a few months after he admitted to extensive use of performance-enhancing drugs and blood transfusions. The government filed the suit on behalf of the U.S. Postal Service, which paid $32.3 million to sponsor Armstrong’s cycling team from 200004.
Armstrong said in a statement he’s happy to have “made peace with the Postal Service,” whose jersey he wore at the height of his fame in pro cycling.