Floyd Landis challenges Donald Trump through Lance Armstrong settlement
Stripped Tour de France winner Landis has raised a legal challenge around the appointment of a new attorney general
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Floyd Landis has challenged US president Donald Trump’s administration through his Lance Armstrong lawsuit settlement.
Landis, a stripped Tour de France winner, has challenged the legitimacy of the acting US attorney general, Matthew Whitaker.
While most of the Landis-Armstrong lawsuit was settled earlier this year, part of the case remained open when Whitaker was appointed in early November.
The Justice Department under Whitaker needed to approve part of the agreement, but Landis is now using the case to question the validity of the appointment, according to USA Today. (opens in new tab)
Landis’ attorney, Paul Scott, said: “Though this motion may potentially go against his financial interests, Floyd is basically just trying to do the right thing here.
“The legitimacy of the [attorney general] happened to present itself in his case, so he decided to take a stand on the issue."
On November 7, Donald Trump announced that Whitaker would replace attorney general Jeff Sessions who was pushed out by the president.
Whitaker’s appointment has proved controversial, with senior US figures opposing his acting position as attorney general .
Landis, a confessed doper who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France victory, argues that Whitaker is not a legitimate acting head of the US Justice Department because the Senate did not approve his appointment.
On Monday, Landis asked the US Court of Appeals for the District of Colombia Circuit to rule Whitaker’s role as invalid.
Landis, Armstrong's former team-mate, is adding to his legal costs and throws into jeopardy an additional $122,870 (£95,000) he was awarded last week for his role in the Armstrong lawsuit, according to USA Today.
>>> Floyd Landis says cycling is not clean in post-Armstrong era
As part of the most recent deal, Landis agreed to drop an appeal over a case involving damages from Armstrong’s former manager Johan Bruyneel and Tailwind Sports, the parent company of Armstrong’s team.
In 2010, Landis filed a whistleblower lawsuit against Armstrong, claiming the disgraced seven-time Tour de France winner had defrauded the US government by doping while riding for the US Postal Service team.
Earlier this year, Armstrong agreed to pay out $5million (£3.8million) in a settlement, with Landis due to receive around $750,000 (£576,150) as the person who raised the case.
Landis had also attempted to reclaim damages from Bruyneel and Tailwind, but that rejected, so Landis appealed.
When Landis dropped the appeal, the Justice Department agreed to pay out up to $122,000 but that money could now come into question due to Landis’ legal challenge against Whitaker’s appointment.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
-
Meet The Joker, a brake-less, chain-less crit racing bike
New York City-based Priority Bicycles today launched a fixed-gear, 70T belt-drive criterium and track racing machine
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Pirelli claims updated P Zero Race TLR tire is 24 per cent faster than before
The tire giant also claims that aramid fibres used improve puncture resistance. Wider tyres on the way
By Rob Spedding • Published
-
Eight of the best cycling films streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and iPlayer
The best cycling-related films and documentaries available to watch online
By Tom Thewlis • Last updated
-
F1 star Valtteri Bottas spotted out riding with Lance Armstrong
Alfa Romeo driver joined controversial American for Colorado spin on Sunday
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'I think doping might actually be more popular': Mixed reviews as Lance Armstrong gets into the NFT game
If there's one thing worth reading this weekend, it's the replies to Lance Armstrong's tweet about acquiring an NFT
By Jonny Long • Published
-
'I was almost dead': Jan Ullrich speaks out on his recovery on Lance Armstrong's podcast
The former Tour de France winner spoke about how finding friends in Armstrong and others after re-adopting a healthy lifestyle
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published
-
Seven things we learnt from the new Lance Armstrong documentary
The 48-year-old sheds new light on the biggest doping scandal in sporting history, and is as combative as ever
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Floyd Landis responds after Lance Armstrong calls him a ‘piece of s***’ in new documentary
Floyd Landis has responded after Lance Armstrong called him a “piece of s***” in a new documentary.
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
'I'm not going to lie to you now': New Lance Armstrong documentary to air
The documentary features new, extensive interviews with Armstrong as well as a number of his former team-mates, rivals and friends
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Lance Armstrong urges riders to 'take back power' amid coronavirus uncertainty
Wages have been slashed across the peloton as teams struggle financially due to the pandemic
By Jonny Long • Published