The U.S. Justice Department will join a suit against Lance Armstrong for using performance-enhancing drugs during his Tour de France cycling races, according to breaking news announced on NBC’s Twitter feed.
Details are still sketchy. But the announcement is somewhat of a shock to those who thought any federal charges against the cyclist had come to an end in December, when a federal prosecutor in California dropped a two-year criminal fraud investigation.
Ostensibly, this Justice Department announcement deals with a whistleblower charge from Mr. Armstrong’s former teammate, Floyd Landis. The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency lobbied Attorney General Eric Holder to join this suit, The Associated Press reports.
USADA chief executive Travis Tygart wrote Mr. Holder on Jan. 14, saying that “fraud and other crimes were committed” by Mr. Armstrong and other members of his team, AP says.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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