AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Justice Department lawyers are urging a federal judge not to dismiss the government’s fraud lawsuit against Lance Armstrong.
In court filings late Monday, federal lawyers argue the U.S. Postal Service was forever tainted by its sponsorship of Armstrong’s team while he was using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France.
Armstrong has asked the judge in Washington to dismiss the case, saying the government got what it paid for in the $40 million sponsorship deal in terms of international exposure. Armstrong also has argued the government could have ended its sponsorship when it heard rumors of doping but chose not to.
Former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis initially sued Armstrong under the False Claims Act in 2010. The Justice Department joined the case this year after Armstrong confessed to doping.
