Lance Armstrong could be the latest example of the consequences of lying to the government.
Lance Armstrong finally forced to testify under oath
USA TODAY Sports reported Wednesday night that Armstrong, who admitted in January of 2013, could be forced to pay $112 million in payments he received while he was doping while winning his seven Tour de France titles.
The U.S. Postal Service paid $40 million to sponsor Armstrong's racing team from 1998-2004. In a June 19 ruling, federal Judge Robert Wilkins denied Armstrong's request to dismiss a government civil lawsuit seeking $100 million in repayment from Armstrong. It claims that it never would've paid $40 million to sponsor Armstrong if it knew his team was violating its sponsorship by participating in doping, according to the USA TODAY Sports report.
Lance Armstrong recording instructional bike videos for money?
USA TODAY Sports wrote, "Wilkins determined that doping by Armstrong's cycling team would have been a 'total breach' of their sponsorship contracts with the Postal Service, which paid $40 million to sponsor the team from 1998 to 2004. He also wrote, 'As such, the Postal Service clearly could have sought restitution - repayment of the sponsorship fees - as a remedy ... The Court holds that the plaintiffs have sufficiently pled that the defendants owed an obligation to pay money to the government due to the alleged breach of the sponsorship agreements as a result of the riders' doping.'"
In a separate case in Texas, Armstrong could be forced to repay $12 million.
Independent attorneys have told USA TODAY Sports that the Postal Service has a pretty good chance of winning its case. It must prove that Armstrong and his teammates engaged in doping and then lied about it - and they already have publicly admitted to both doping and lying. The case may not even go to a jury trial; a judge could rule in the Postal Service's favor in a summary judgment.
"I would think the government here would say Armstrong has admitted he doped, that he admitted he lied about it, why do we need a trial?" said Jason Workmaster, an attorney who specializes in government contracts for the firm McKenna Long & Aldridge.
According to USA TODAY Sports, the government can ask that damages be tripled under the False Claims Act - around $100 million.
The article also reported that Armstrong already has sold his private plane and his home in Austin, Texas. Last year, he told cycling writer Joe Lindsey, "I don't have $100 million."
Do you think Lance Armstrong should pay $100 million to the government for breach of contract? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
