Armstrong lawyer condemns "un-American" investigation

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Lance Armstrong’s lawyer Brian D. Daly has condemned the federal investigation of his client and his former US Postal Service team as “un-American and a waste of taxpayers’ money". Further allegations of doping in the US Postal Service squad were published in the New York Times yesterday, citing an unnamed former team rider as a source.

Daly, a Los Angeles-based criminal defence lawyer, went on the offensive in a statement issued in the wake of the New York Times piece, accusing the report of containing “inappropriate leaks designed to create a circus-like atmosphere.

“To the extent that any riders are suggesting that Lance Armstrong violated cycling rules or doped, they are either mistaken or not telling the truth. Lance has ridden with hundreds of riders over the years who will support his position, and over all that time he has never failed even a single test,” Daly said.

Daly also questioned the motivation of the riders who have spoken with investigators in the probe, before criticising the very nature of the investigation itself. The probe into alleged doping practices in the US Postal Service squad was sparked by allegations made by Floyd Landis in May, and is headed by Jeff Novitzky of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“We understand that riders may be being offered sweetheart deals to change testimony that they have given in the past, under oath,” Daly said. “The power of the federal government is being abused to pursue dated and discredited allegations, and that’s flat-out wrong, unethical, un-American, and a waste of taxpayer dollars.”