Lance Armstrong Gears Up for Oprah Confession, Legal Obstacles
After years of denying doping, Lance Armstrong is expected to make a confession to Oprah Winfrey today. The interview is set to be broadcast Thursday.
The cyclist is expected to come clean on allegations of doping and using performance-enhancing drugs surrounding his Tour de France wins, as well as issue an apology to the public, reports ESPN. This confession comes on the heels of a damning U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report last year that resulted in Armstrong losing all seven of his Tour de France titles.
Given that Armstrong has been involved in plenty of legal controversy surrounding his alleged doping, his confession now will have serious legal ramifications. Here are some of the potential impacts:
- Fellow disgraced cyclist (and former Armstrong teammate) Floyd Landis brought a federal whistleblower lawsuit against Armstrong, ESPN reports. The federal Justice Department has not yet announced if it will join the case. Armstrong's expected confession would vindicate Landis and clear the way for the Justice Department to take action against Armstrong for possibly lying to the agency.
- The Sunday Times of London is suing Armstrong to recover about $500,000 it paid him to settle a libel lawsuit regarding doping allegations. However, any perjury charges against Armstrong may be too late as the statute of limitations would likely have run from the 2005 case, reports ESPN.
- Dallas-based SCA Promotions has threatened to sue Armstrong to recover more than $7.5 million that an arbitration panel awarded the cyclist as a bonus for winning the Tour de France. The group may have a possible fraud claim against Armstrong.
In Lance Armstrong's Oprah Winfrey interview, he may be able to remove some guilt and taint from his name by confessing. He may also help his charity Livestrong by coming clean. However, the cyclist had better be prepared for the potential legal fallout from his confession as well.
Related Resources:
- Can even Oprah save Lance Armstrong? (CNN)
- Lance Armstrong Lawsuit vs. Doping Agency Thrown Out (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- 5 Sports Legal Issues That Won't Go Away (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)