US Attorney standing by decision to drop Armstrong investigation

Despite Lance Armstrong's public confession to doping on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, the US attorney who last February dropped the federal investigation into the former Tour de France champion remains steadfast in his decision to not pursue criminal charges.

"We made a decision on that case a little over a year ago," U.S. Attorney André Birotte said, according to Reuters. "Obviously, we've been well aware of the statements that have been made by Mr. Armstrong in other media reports. That does not change my view at this time."

The abrupt end to the two-year federal investigation of Armstrong on February 3, 2012 was a sudden and unexpected decision, surprising many of the investigators involved with the case. Nonetheless, United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart took up the reins with his organisation's own investigation into Armstrong, culminating with the Texan being stripped of all seven Tour de France titles and being banned for life from any sport adhering to Word Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, DC, unrelated to the Armstrong investigation, Birotte said that the government will continue to look at the case, but stated that Armstrong's confession to doping "hasn't changed our view".

While Armstrong may have avoided charges of fraud sought by the federal investigation ended by Birotte, the beleaguered Texan's legal woes are still considerable as he faces a whistleblower lawsuit from former teammate Floyd Landis, a lawsuit from SCA Promotions seeking repayment of bonus money plus a lawsuit from the British Sunday Times newspaper seeking to recoup money paid to Armstrong from a libel case.