US prosecutors drop case against Armstrong/USPS

[LarryBudMelman]

Fans or not; Fabiani was bought in to do what he accomplished. He spun the investigation into something it was not about and highlighted the "costs" in a politically unacceptable light. Problem for Lance is the money's already largely spent and evidence is available. Fabiani's ability to supress evidence might not be covered by Lance's checkbook or Fab's skillset. Unless Lance is covering Ferrari he still has guilt by association going for him in the public realm. Killing the legend in the Public's mind will deprive him of his income stream and that's equally important.
That and seeing Liggett's career end in quiet retirement is a valuable outcome.

This has gone up to Boxer, Breuer, and possibly Holder and Obama if they don't do something.

 

[DirtyWorks]

This has gone up to Boxer, Breuer, and possibly Holder and Obama if they don't do something.

Well, unless you hired Fabiani to get your complaint heard, I'm afraid it's just another voter issue.

 

[eleven]

What fans of Armstrong have not considered, is that Fabiani was probably brought in to kill the Criminal investigation. He has done that. Job done. I hope he cashed the check before the next round of brown stuff hits the fan.

Not only have i considered that, I have no doubt that was Fabiani etal's mission.

Mission accomplished.

 

[Fatclimber]

Mr. Bay,

You are one of a small percentage in the USA who would even care about this matter. As a matter of fact, I don't think Lance even cares,(or is looking back in the review mirror, over his shoulder etc.
I think that most of the investigators won't even look back. I think even Novitzky has called it a day.
No trial, no money, no glory, for the investigators.

I'm afraid this is what it looks like to me as well. On the national news last night there was equal time granted to coverage of the LA case being dropped and AC receiving his doping ban; about 7 seconds each. It's great that an AM 550 radio station is granting 3 1/2 minutes of attention to it. Also great that the 11 most ardent US cycling fans are demanding exposing the truth on a UK cycling website. This isn't going to be enough publicity to get anything done however.

Birotte will take the heat for awhile until it blows over, then all will be forgotten. My question is, how many people are actually seeking justice as opposed to just wanting to prove a loud-mouthed arrogant cheating jackass wrong? Is that a good enough reason?

What is now getting under my skin is politics overriding justice, but there is nothing that will change that. Not in the US, not in Europe, not anywhere. But, if politics is what the DOJ wants, how about the choice of who's dreams to shatter; the LA supporters and Cancer survivors who put him on a pedestal, or the millions of people depending on the justice system for fair and equitable treatment.

Let's hope the WSJ and others continue the coverage they were giving this a couple years ago.

 

[skippy]

Take a look at yourselves , you people !

The Grand Jury is DEAD ! there is an ELECTION this year !

There are the Olympics this year !

THERE ARE VESTED INTERESTS IN PLAY THIS YEAR !

Any of you got untraceable " IP addresses "?

Take a holiday until 2013 because IF there is a " political Will " this matter will be dead until mid 2013 when those with career ambitions will poke their heads above the parapet , sniff the wind and then decide if it is in THEIR BEST INTERESTS to satisfy your current dismay ! Doubtful if any of your interests will be included in their thought processes !

Charles P. will tell you i predicted that this may well occur in December .

Lance i have no doubt will retain his Legal team until 2017 and the US way of doing things damages the financial health of even the innocent . No wonder people are queuing up to become Lawyers , beats being a journo hack in the USA , as Charles will probably agree !

 

[BotanyBay]

A lot of good is coming out of the former investigation. A lot of healing for many victims, As far as attacking the US judicial system, this matter does nothing.
The judicial system is protected iron clad by the Constitution and its amendments.

Than it should survive a little inquiry like this quite nicely.

 

[Benotti69]

Not only have i considered that, I have no doubt that was Fabiani etal's mission.

Mission accomplished.

Mission accomplished for the time being

 

[Race Radio]

Its corruption because the haters didn't get what they want. It would have been abuse of government power if the fanboys hadn't gotten what they wanted. Same stupid arguments. Two sides of the same irrational coin.

I have not seen anything that points to corruption. I see someone who skillfully used the political system for his benefit. That is legal here. If you are rich and famous you get better access. If you hire somebody who can work the system you get better access.

This does not mean that the case did not have merit. It is pretty clear to even the most casual observer that at the minimum Armstrong harassed witnesses.

 

[LarryBudMelman]

Well, unless you hired Fabiani to get your complaint heard, I'm afraid it's just another voter issue.

Unless you get full blown exposure from the one of the pillars of American journalism.. Who knows?

People get paid decent money to expose the truth and there's a lot of it out there.

Funny how Pharmstrong likes to raise all this awareness based on his myth but now according to his fanboys no one cares.

 

[Benotti69]

Unless you get full blown exposure from the one of the pillars of American journalism.. Who knows?

People get paid decent money to expose the truth and there's a lot of it out there.

Funny how Pharmstrong likes to raise all this awareness based on his myth but now according to his fanboys no one cares.

'No one cares" .....as the myth disintegrates and as they watch another piece fall way they are trying to save those few pieces left.

 

[MacRoadie]

Should be interesting to see just what the DOJ is willing to share with USADA.

Seems to me they are in a tight spot: send too much and it looks like they had plenty of evidence but dropped the investigation for political purposes.

Send too little and it looks like they spent two years wasting money and getting nothing out of it (even if they claim there is more that they can't send, but are bound by GJ secrecy).

Seems to be a lose-lose situation for them and every step they take has at least the potential for added scrutiny.

 

[LarryBudMelman]

Take a look at yourselves , you people !

The Grand Jury is DEAD ! there is an ELECTION this year !

There are the Olympics this year !

THERE ARE VESTED INTERESTS IN PLAY THIS YEAR !

Any of you got untraceable " IP addresses "?

Take a holiday until 2013 because IF there is a " political Will " this matter will be dead until mid 2013 when those with career ambitions will poke their heads above the parapet , sniff the wind and then decide if it is in THEIR BEST INTERESTS to satisfy your current dismay ! Doubtful if any of your interests will be included in their thought processes !

Charles P. will tell you i predicted that this may well occur in December .

Lance i have no doubt will retain his Legal team until 2017 and the US way of doing things damages the financial health of even the innocent . No wonder people are queuing up to become Lawyers , beats being a journo hack in the USA , as Charles will probably agree !

The GOP is going to tie themselves up in knots on whether they should pursue this. I actually have a lot of faith they'll get to the bottom of the influence peddling here..

Barbara Boxer is chairwoman of the Senate Ethics committee and her boy is this Andre Birrote. LAF just gave a lot of money to Planned Parenthood, which Boxer is a big supporter of, after Susan G Komen temporarily withdrew funding. That and the Clintonites takeover of the Justice Dept and the "coordination" with Pharmstrong attorneys doesn't look good.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Unless you get full blown exposure from the one of the pillars of American journalism.. Who knows?

People get paid decent money to expose the truth and there's a lot of it out there.

Funny how Pharmstrong likes to raise all this awareness based on his myth but now according to his fanboys no one cares.

Even with one of the pillars of American journalism, it's just protected speech. The swiftness, silence and seeming finality of it is an elegant expression of political power regardless of the status or your faith in the Republic.

The goal of a conviction for a smorgasbord of serious crimes is at minimum delayed. It would be great if justice were merely delayed. I have grave doubts there will ever be a conviction, much less a trial. This is another instance where I would be happy to be proven wrong.

 

[Velodude]

What did those 10 all testify to?

That he and Sheryl did not sleep in an altitude tent

 

[Velodude]

Its corruption because the haters didn't get what they want. It would have been abuse of government power if the fanboys hadn't gotten what they wanted. Same stupid arguments. Two sides of the same irrational coin.

Then stupid you x 2 ?

 

[MarkvW]

Then stupid you x 2 ?

My stupid goes to twelve.

 

[Benotti69]

My stupid goes to twelve.

I would have said to infinity and beyond.

 

[palmerq]

lets not get personal here, again.... please... :S

 

[GoneWithTailWind]

The goal of a conviction for a smorgasbord of serious crimes is at minimum delayed. It would be great if justice were merely delayed. I have grave doubts there will ever be a conviction, much less a trial. This is another instance where I would be happy to be proven wrong.

[Sorry, the grammar nerd in me is proving too strong to resist:]

Shouldn't that be "I have grave doubts there will ever be a trial, much less a conviction"?

 

[Velodude]

Intimate knowledge of the details of the Feds case against Armstrong and his co felons is an advantage for USADA.

Also I would expect that since the animosity created by the lone decision without consultation all the Fed agencies affected will be leaking like a sieve to USADA.

The USADA arbitration procedurehas the power of the issue of subpoenaes for documents and witnesses through an Arbitrator.

The strict rules of evidence are not necessary.

It would be very easy for USADA to duplicate admissable evidence that was to be used by the Feds by using the evidence gathering facilities of the Arbitration.

 

[Berzin]

What happens to the evidence gathered by the European authorities?

Would the USADA be privy to any of the evidence gathered from across the pond?

 

[ChrisE]

Blah blah. Anonymous government officials state how slam dunk the evidence in front of the GJ is. Kinda reminds me of the NYT circa 2002 about WMD threat from "anonymous" govt officials.

If any of you people think this Birotte clown is gonna say "yeah, I closed this because LA gave $ to this or is buddy's with that" then you are on crack.

He will maintain he closed it because he couldn't get a conviction to cya. Even though that is a cya, it is still the truth IMO that is a convenient reason for him to close it.

I for one hope it does get reopened, and I will finally be proven right he will not be convicted by an American jury. Slam dunk, lol.

Check out the comment sections of any of the stories linked to these past few days. This is your jury pool. Good luck with this slam dunk.

 

[frenchfry]

Blah blah.
Check out the comment sections of any of the stories linked to these past few days. This is your jury pool. Good luck with this slam dunk.

If the average juror's IQ is 10, that means a total IQ of 120 which isn't too bad. Assuming 12 jury members that is.

Although I tend to agree with you, the Livestrong scam is brilliant on many levels.

 

[Cimacoppi48]

Did Someone Get to the US Attorney??

What smells in this is the reported fact that the investigative agencies were blindsided by the Central CA US Attorney. There is more to this than one US Attorney and his discretion. If you think this is improper, as I do, write (email) the US Attorney General Eric Holder.

 

[goober]

Blah blah. Anonymous government officials state how slam dunk the evidence in front of the GJ is. Kinda reminds me of the NYT circa 2002 about WMD threat from "anonymous" govt officials.

If any of you people think this Birotte clown is gonna say "yeah, I closed this because LA gave $ to this or is buddy's with that" then you are on crack.

He will maintain he closed it because he couldn't get a conviction to cya. Even though that is a cya, it is still the truth IMO that is a convenient reason for him to close it.

I for one hope it does get reopened, and I will finally be proven right he will not be convicted by an American jury. Slam dunk, lol.

Check out the comment sections of any of the stories linked to these past few days. This is your jury pool. Good luck with this slam dunk.

Trust me the 'evidence' was almost not even there. The only evidence was completely objective as to say anyone who has sold a bike bought drugs. They were contemplating dropping this almost 9 months ago, then in November but did not because somehow they were going to find evidence. In December evidence came - evidence that slowly began backfiring. More to come....