The United States accused cyclist Lance Armstrong on Friday of defrauding the US Postal Service by taking its sponsorship money at the same time he was doping and using performance-enhancing drugs in violation of cycling rules.
The government joined a civil suit against Armstrong, stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life from cycling last year after accusations he had cheated for years. In January, he said the accusations were true in an interview with television host Oprah Winfrey.
A battle with the US government over civil fraud charges threatens to sap what remains of the once-revered athlete’s reputation, and hurt his wallet.
Armstrong and his teammates from Tailwind Sports wore the logo of the US Postal Service during their record-breaking wins.
“This lawsuit is designed to help the Postal Service recoup the tens of millions of dollars it paid out to the Tailwind cycling team based on years of broken promises,” Ronald Machen, the US attorney for Washington, D.C., said in a statement.
The sponsorship money totaled more than US$30 million, the government said.
