WASHINGTON – The Justice Department has decided to join a whistleblower lawsuit against disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, a lawyer for Armstrong, Robert Luskin, said Friday.
The move, which could happen as early as Friday, increases the odds Armstrong may have to forfeit tens of millions of dollars paid out by team sponsor, the U.S. Postal Service.
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The lawsuit, filed in 2010 by former teammate Floyd Landis on behalf of the Postal Service, alleges Armstrong defrauded the government by using taxpayer dollars to buy performance enhancing drugs used to win seven Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005. Armstrong has admitted to doping and that he bullied his teammates into using banned substances as well.
Until now, his admission has not resulted in serious financial consequences. He is estimated to be worth $125 million.
The Landis lawsuit, filed under the federal False Claims Act, poses a bigger threat to Armstrong’s wealth because it triples financial damages.
The case has been kept under seal while the Justice Department decided whether to join it.
The government is choosing to intervene in the lawsuit after settlement negotiations with Armstrong stalled over the extent of damages the Postal Service suffered as a result of the alleged fraud, an Armstrong spokesman said.
Armstrong’s camp has argued that the Postal Service sustained little or no damage because it got a 300 percent return for its sponsorship of the pro cycling team. The Postal Service spent at least $31 million over four years to support the team.
“Lance and his representatives worked constructively over these last weeks with federal lawyers to resolve this case fairly, but those talks failed because we disagree about whether the Postal Service was damaged,” according to a statement issued by his spokesman, Mark Fabiani.
“The Postal Service’s own studies show that the it reaped big rewards from its sponsorship — with benefits totaling more than $100 million,” the statement said.
O’Brien will make CNN documentaries
NEW YORK – CNN’s Soledad O’Brien won’t be leaving CNN even though her job as morning show host is ending.
New CNN boss Jeff Zucker said Thursday that he has reached a deal to help fund a production company for O’Brien, who will be making three documentaries for CNN and host this year’s “Black in America” documentary.
O’Brien said the deal will let her do what she wants to do most, confronting difficult topics and telling underreported stories. She’ll also have the opportunity to own her work and the production company is able to sell material to outlets other than CNN.
Her Starfish Media Group, will also develop theatrical and scripted TV projects.
Jermaine gets new surname that shines
LOS ANGELES – Jermaine Jackson has a new, brighter surname — Jacksun.
A Los Angeles judge approved the change to singer’s name Friday.
The 58-year-old, who shared lead singing duties with his younger brother Michael in the Jackson 5, did not appear in court.
He sought the name change for “artistic reasons” and says it has nothing to do with a recent rift in his family over the care of Michael Jackson’s children and family matriarch Katherine Jackson.
His attorney Bret D. Lewis said Jacksun was in Europe performing with his brothers and told him that he was sure it was “a sunny day in California.”
Lewis said he doesn’t know whether Jacksun will elaborate on the creative reasons for the change.
– From news service reports
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