Did Livestrong have anything to do with Andre Birotte's decision to close the federal investigation? Think about it.
It has been reported that Livestrong sent lobbyists to Washington in an attempt to persuade senators and congressional representatives to stop USADA and to cut off their funds. Their attempts were somewhat successful in getting a few lawmakers on their side.
It was apparent now that Armstrong was never intending to go toe-to-toe in an arbitration hearing with USADA. He knew the odds were against him. Armstrong's only hope of beating USADA was to beat them outside of the normal arbitration process for athletes alleged to have taken performance-enhancing-drugs.
He was going to do whatever it took to beat USADA outside of an actual arbitration hearing, whether that meant going to court, getting lobbyists to take action against USADA, or... getting the Atty General's office to force Novitsky to end the federal investigation.
Think about it. Livestrong sent lobbyists to influence the people that could cut off USADA funding. The same tactic would theoretically be used to get Novitsky off of Lance's back. And that would be to go one step up to Andre Birotte, and get him to call off the federal investigation.
Remember Mark Fabiani? He is Armstrong's legal spokesman who was also at one time served as a White House special counsel. Fabiani was added to Armstrong's legal team long ago along with Bryan Daly who is a Los Angeles based atty and himself a former prosecutor. Why would Armstrong add Daly to his team? Why not an atty from Texas like his other lawyers? What is the link between Fabiani and Daly to Andre Birotte, the US Atty for the Central District of California whose office oversaw Jeff Novitsky's office? Did Livestrong lobbyists have any pull to get Birotte to suddenly make the decision to drop the federal case?
It has been reported that Livestrong sent lobbyists to Washington in an attempt to persuade senators and congressional representatives to stop USADA and to cut off their funds. Their attempts were somewhat successful in getting a few lawmakers on their side.
It was apparent now that Armstrong was never intending to go toe-to-toe in an arbitration hearing with USADA. He knew the odds were against him. Armstrong's only hope of beating USADA was to beat them outside of the normal arbitration process for athletes alleged to have taken performance-enhancing-drugs.
He was going to do whatever it took to beat USADA outside of an actual arbitration hearing, whether that meant going to court, getting lobbyists to take action against USADA, or... getting the Atty General's office to force Novitsky to end the federal investigation.
Think about it. Livestrong sent lobbyists to influence the people that could cut off USADA funding. The same tactic would theoretically be used to get Novitsky off of Lance's back. And that would be to go one step up to Andre Birotte, and get him to call off the federal investigation.
Remember Mark Fabiani? He is Armstrong's legal spokesman who was also at one time served as a White House special counsel. Fabiani was added to Armstrong's legal team long ago along with Bryan Daly who is a Los Angeles based atty and himself a former prosecutor. Why would Armstrong add Daly to his team? Why not an atty from Texas like his other lawyers? What is the link between Fabiani and Daly to Andre Birotte, the US Atty for the Central District of California whose office oversaw Jeff Novitsky's office? Did Livestrong lobbyists have any pull to get Birotte to suddenly make the decision to drop the federal case?