Whistleblower Law Blog

I’m sure you have heard about the whistleblower lawsuit initiated by Lance Armstrong’s former teammate, Floyd Landis, but if not, where have you been? In this suit Landis has targeted several others that were part of the U.S. Postal Service team for being a part of or knowing of teammates using banned substances for performance enhancement.

This case has been in judicial seal for more than 2 ½ years now. The U.S. Justice Department had a deadline of Thursday January 17, 2013 to decide whether or not to be a part of Landis’s case. Yet, sources were led to believe they had asked for an extension to decide. After many years of speculation, in a 2013 interview, Armstrong finally admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he used banned substances throughout his entire cycling career.

Landis was on the US Postal Service Team with Armstrong from 2002 through 2004. In his lawsuit, he explains in detail how he and the others used (or were at least aware of the use of) banned substances and were blood doping from their hotel rooms, on team buses and in private apartments.

If all goes according to Landis’s plan and the case settles, he would receive 15-25 percent of the settlement if the U.S. Justice Department decides to participate. Or, he would get 25-30 percent of the settlement if the plaintiff goes through with the lawsuit privately, as per the whistleblower law. The insider or whistleblower, the person that comes forward to the authorities on illegal activity, can benefit financially, even if he/she was party to the fraud, as long as he/she was not the mastermind.