Constitutional Law, Drugs, Sports

Lance Armstrong Files Suit Against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency 'Kangaroo Court'

Lance Armstrong has sued the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in federal court, alleging violations of his Constitutional rights...

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Lance Armstrong has done many regrettable things in his career as a professional cyclist (e.g., dumping Kate Hudson, breaking up with Sheryl Crow, hooking up with an Olsen twin), but he remains consistent in his claims that he has never used performance-enhancing drugs.

That’s why Armstrong was absolutely enraged when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) decided to formally charge him with doping at the end of June. If found guilty, the Livestrong legend could be stripped of all seven of his Tour de France titles, forced to turn over all of the money he won from 1999-2005, and banned from Olympic sports for life.

In response, Armstrong took to Twitter to criticize the USADA by linking to an Above the Law story, revealing the identity of Calvin Clark Griffith, one of the formerly anonymous members of his Review Board. If you recall, Griffith was accused of exposing himself to a law student, and entered an Alford plea in mid-June.

Today, Armstrong continued his assault upon the USADA by suing in federal court, with claims of the Agency’s various violations of his constitutional rights. Let’s take a look at the allegations….

Sports Illustrated (gavel bang: Associated Press) has the scoop on this developing story:

Armstrong’s lawsuit says USADA rules violate athletes’ constitutional right to a fair trial, and that the agency doesn’t have jurisdiction in his case. It also accuses USADA’s chief executive, Travis Tygart, of waging a personal vendetta against the cancer survivor who won the Tour de France every year from 1999 to 2005.

The lawsuit is an aggressive — and expected — move as Armstrong seeks to preserve his legacy as one of the greatest cyclists ever and an inspiring advocate for cancer survivors and research. Armstrong wants a judge to bar USADA from pursuing its case or issuing any sanctions against him.

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Armstrong is asking the court to issue an injunction by this Saturday, the deadline for him to challenge the USADA’s case or accept the sanctions that will be levied against him.

According to the New York Daily News, in the 111-page filing, Armstrong calls the USADA a “kangaroo court,” noting that he is being forced to endure an “unfair process” as his Constitutional and common law due process rights are at risk. As noted in the New York Times, Armstrong claims that the USADA believes it “is above the United States Constitution, above the law, above court review, free from supervision from any person or organization, and even above its own rules.”

Aha, so maybe that’s why Armstrong has taken to reading Above the Law! His own claims against the USADA go hand in hand with the name of our esteemed publication. We hope that Armstrong has better luck in his battle against the USADA than in his track record with women — he might need it.

Flip to the next page if you’re interested in taking a look at Armstrong’s suit against the USADA….

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