Could be but I am really not so sure about political pressure. In the end, justice is served when truth is uncovered and a penalty is applied. The fallout from a USADA "conviction" of Armstrong will be huge to him. I would imagine SCA opening new suits to recover bonus money paid, just for starters...
That alone could be part of the decision by the Los Angeles DA to halt the investigation. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are equally big fish, backed by fishes bigger than anything in Armstrong's sea -- Major League Baseball. Those cases went to trial and look what happened -- one conviction on a minor count against Bonds.
I think the Los Angeles DA was very smart in stopping the investigation pending the USADA outcome. There is no reason why the criminal investigation against Armstrong cannot be reopened, but it probably will not.
That alone could be part of the decision by the Los Angeles DA to halt the investigation. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are equally big fish, backed by fishes bigger than anything in Armstrong's sea -- Major League Baseball. Those cases went to trial and look what happened -- one conviction on a minor count against Bonds.
I think the Los Angeles DA was very smart in stopping the investigation pending the USADA outcome. There is no reason why the criminal investigation against Armstrong cannot be reopened, but it probably will not.