Disgraced cyclist, Lance Armstrong, believes that a federal lawsuit by the US government against him should be dismissed.
The case against the 41-year-old stated that Mr Armstrong had defrauded the public by insisting that he wasn’t using drugs when he claimed his seven Tour de France triumphs.
Armstrong was stripped of his victories after he admitted to doping earlier this year, but not the cyclist has questioned why the government are interested in investigating him. He has claimed that they overlooked the allegations of drug-taking at the time due to the fact that his team were sponsored by the US Postal Service.
Armstrong’s motion states, “Although the government now pretend to be aggrieved by these allegations, its actions at the time are far more telling.”
The 41 year old was riding with the US Postal Service team at the time the lawsuit relates to it. In January, during an in depth interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong finally admitted to years of doping, and he even went on to state that it was part of the process of winning the Tour.
Armstrong’s motion continued, “Did it suspend the team pending an investigation? Did it refer the matter to its phalanx of lawyers and investigators at the Department of Justice for review? It did not.”
The legal document continued, “Rather than exercise its right to terminate the sponsorship agreement, it instead renewed its contract to sponsor the team.The rationale behind the government’s decision is obvious. Armstrong had recently won the 2000 Tour de France. The government wanted a winner and all the publicity, exposure, and acclaim that goes along with being his sponsor. It got exactly what it bargained for.”
Armstrong also believes that the government’s case is too old to be brought to justice, as there is a six-year statute of limitations.
Do you think that the US Government’s lawsuit against Lance Armstrong should be dismissed?