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Landis threatened?

Landis has received a cease-and-desist letter from a prominent International Olympic Committee member he accused of wrongdoing, and has watched as Armstrong's supporters portrayed him as an unhinged opportunist.


- Guess who?
 
According to two people with knowledge of the situation, Landis has received an strongly-worded letter from Hein Verbruggen, a former president of the sport's international governing body, whom Landis accused of accepting bribes to suppress a failed Armstrong drug test. Pat McQuaid, who succeeded Verbruggen as president of the International Cycling Union (or UCI), confirmed that the letter had been sent from UCI's general counsel.

"They are asking him to cease and desist from making statements he's made about Mr. Verbruggen in the past few weeks because they are not true," McQuaid said.

Meanwhile, Landis, who has confessed to extensive doping during his career, has been providing extensive information to Food and Drug Administration criminal investigator Jeff Novitzky, who uncovered the infamous BALCO doping ring as well as the steroid distribution ring that Kirk Radomski established in Major League Baseball.

According to people close to the situation, Landis and Novitzky have developed a good relationship.

Among the attorneys advising Landis from Wilson Sonsini is Leo Cunningham, a defense attorney who was once a prosecutor in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, where BALCO was litigated.
 
Feb 21, 2010
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I suppose provoking one of the UCI toadies to file a suit v Landis in the USA would net nearly the same effect as provoking Armstrong.

I wonder how it would work should Landis be sued overseas?
 
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Anonymous

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thehog said:
According to two people with knowledge of the situation, Landis has received an strongly-worded letter from Hein Verbruggen, a former president of the sport's international governing body, whom Landis accused of accepting bribes to suppress a failed Armstrong drug test. Pat McQuaid, who succeeded Verbruggen as president of the International Cycling Union (or UCI), confirmed that the letter had been sent from UCI's general counsel.

"They are asking him to cease and desist from making statements he's made about Mr. Verbruggen in the past few weeks because they are not true," McQuaid said.

Meanwhile, Landis, who has confessed to extensive doping during his career, has been providing extensive information to Food and Drug Administration criminal investigator Jeff Novitzky, who uncovered the infamous BALCO doping ring as well as the steroid distribution ring that Kirk Radomski established in Major League Baseball.

According to people close to the situation, Landis and Novitzky have developed a good relationship.

Among the attorneys advising Landis from Wilson Sonsini is Leo Cunningham, a defense attorney who was once a prosecutor in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, where BALCO was litigated.

Well, it would be a lot of fun to see HV cross examined under oath. With any luck LA would get drawn it to this too. I'll bet LA has been on the phone today...


Ring, ring, ring...

HV: Uh, hello?

LA: Hey, it's Lance.

HV: Hello Lan..

LA: WHAT THE EFF ARE YOU THINKING??!!! DID I EFFING TELL YOU TO SEND AN EFFING LETTER TO THAT P.O.S??? FFS HEIN, YOU KNOW WE CAN'T BE ON THE STAND!! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU???!!!


If Floyd is telling the truth then he has nothing to fear. Plus, he has nothing to lose (civil), so there's that.
 
Jul 23, 2009
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Wouldn't that be a strange slander suit.

Issue: FL slandered HV by saying he accepted bribes from LA.

FL: I didn't lie. I just repeated what LA told me.
LA: I didn't say that.
FL: Yes you did.
LA: No I didn't
FL: Yes you did. On a training ride in 2002.
LA: You're crazy. Everyone knows that. You can tell by your sane emails.
HV: Nobody paid me any hush money. I just accepted money to fight doping from a champion who was dogged by doping allegations his whole career.

Not much for a poor judge to work with.
 
The funny thing is - Landis hasn't exactly been all over the media. He's given a couple of interviews to ESPN, he didn't hold a press conference, so what exactly is HV asking Landis to cease and desist? Stop talking to the FBI?

I am actually shocked that HV hasn't tried libel tourism - it is much easier to get a libel verdict in the UK for example than the US (where free speech is protected).
 
Aug 13, 2009
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It wasn't a letter, it was an email. Verbruggen called Floyd a bunch of names and cried like a baby because he spit in the soup. Mafia tactics from the Mafia Don.

Verdurggen needs to understand that his games don't work anymore. What is he going to do, Make it so Floyd can't get a team?
 
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Mrs John Murphy said:
The funny thing is - Landis hasn't exactly been all over the media. He's given a couple of interviews to ESPN, he didn't hold a press conference, so what exactly is HV asking Landis to cease and desist? Stop talking to the FBI?

I am actually shocked that HV hasn't tried libel tourism - it is much easier to get a libel verdict in the UK for example than the US (where free speech is protected).

ah but out new condemnation government is planning to overturn that and give freedom of speech more protection
 
Feb 21, 2010
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Burn Pro Cycling said:
If he's got Lemond's lawyers then it's bad news. They'll advise him to take the money - any money he can get his hands on - rather than pursue the case till the end. :(

Take what money?

If Floyd is (pretty well established) a Fed witness, there is no money, per se.

If Floyd were to be sued (highly unlikely), there could be a settlement.

So, what are you saying?
 
Feb 21, 2010
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Race Radio said:
It wasn't a letter, it was an email. Verbruggen called Floyd a bunch of names and cried like a baby because he spit in the soup. Mafia tactics from the Mafia Don.

Verdurggen needs to understand that his games don't work anymore. What is he going to do, Make it so Floyd can't get a team?

My understanding is it was from a Verbiest character.

My understanding is there is also much more to the story. I guess we'll have to wait a bit more.
 
Sep 25, 2009
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i find it an interesting parallel: some named by flandis run for a corporate cover despite having plentiful personal resources.

...armstrong gets a corporate radioshack legal counsel to release some emails
...and verbruggen who hasn't headed the uci for years now gets the uci legal counsel to sent threatening letters.
 
Aug 13, 2009
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Colm.Murphy said:
The NY Daily article references this fellow: http://www.wsgr.com/wsgr/DBIndex.aspx?SectionName=attorneys/BIOS/349.htm

That is a very hardcore litigator. This must be serious.

Note some key words in that resume

"government investigations"

"became a federal prosecutor in the Northern District of California. For eight years, he investigated and prosecuted a variety of crimes"

"illegal exports...........other types of fraud"

Armstrong is Forked
 
Aug 13, 2009
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Red Lobster said:
That is also a $600+/hr lawyer whose retainer has to be at least $50k. It is curious . . . Being bankrolled or else Leo is going pro bono to get the highest profile action.

...... guys that can buy and sell Lance.

Dude is forked.