Lance Armstrong’s tour of lies cost him big bucks Monday when an arbitration panel ordered the disgraced cyclist to pay $10 million in a fraud dispute with a promotions company for covering up his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Dallas-based SCA Promotions paid Armstrong and Tailwind Sports Corp., a since-dissolved team-management company, about $12 million in bonuses during Armstrong’s career, during which he won seven Tour de France titles.
Those victories were stripped after Armstrong and his U.S. Postal Service teams were found to have used PEDs.
SCA disputed the bonuses in arbitration in 2005, and the case produced the foundation of the doping evidence later used against Armstrong. But Armstrong continued to deny doping and the company settled with Armstrong — paying him $7 million in 2006.
The company sued Armstrong to get its money back after his cheating was exposed by a report from the US Anti-Doping Agency and a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey.
“It’s an absolutely astounding win,” SCA attorney Jeff Tillotson said. “It’s nice to know that the system will catch you if you lie.”
Armstrong’s lawyer, Tim Herman, has already vowed to seek a reversal of the Feb. 4 arbitration order, saying the decision violates Texas law.
The suit accused Armstrong of “what may well be the most outrageous, coldhearted and elaborate lie in the history of sports.”
The arbitration panel ordered him to repay the $7 million settlement award plus $2.5?million for lying.
“Perjury must never be profitable,” the panel wrote in a 2-1 decision. “Tailwind Sports Corp. and Lance Armstrong have justly earned wide public condemnation. That is an inadequate deterrent. Deception demands real, meaningful sanctions,” the majority wrote.
Armstrong is also facing a $100 million fraud suit by the federal government and former teammate Floyd Landis over his team’s sponsorship contract.
Despite the seemingly unending hits to his reputation and pocketbook Armstrong sounded unrepentant in a recent BBC interview.
“I would probably do it again,” he said.
His lawyer did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
With Post Wire Services