The United States government is seeking additional funds through a civil default judgement from Lance Armstrong’s longtime manager, Johan Bruyneel, as part of the final steps of a lawsuit that alleges Armstrong defrauded his sponsor, the U.S. Postal Service.
The U.S. Justice Department asked a federal judge for a civil default judgment against Bruyneel who is personally liable for US$1.2 million.
The U.S. government also named Tailwind Sports, the now-defunct company that owned the U.S. Postal Service cycling team, alongside Bruyneel in a separate default judgment. In that filing, the U.S. government is seeking an addition US$451,000.
In 2013, the U.S. government sued Armstrong, Bruyneel, and team owner Tailwind Sports for $100 million, and that case settled in April with Armstrong paying just $7 million.
Of that $7 million, $1.65 million went to paying former teammate and accuser Floyd Landis’ legal expenses, and $5 million went to the federal government – but of that $5 million, $1.1 million also went back to Landis for blowing the whistle on Armstrong.
Over the course of its sponsorship run, the U.S. Postal Service paid Armstrong’s cycling team $32.3 million.
Johan Bruyneel lives now in Madrid and it’s unclear if the U.S. government will actually be able to pursue him in court, or if this is simply a symbolic gesture.
