Landisgate: Armstrong’s lawyer complains about media leaks

Lance Armstrong's lawyer has written to the federal prosecutor investigating Armstrong for possible fraud and doping violations to complain about leaks to the media.

According to Associated Press, which says it has obtained a copy of Monday’s letter, Armstrong’s lawyer Tim Herman tells Assistant US Attorney Douglas Miller in Los Angeles that it's "especially unfair to subject Mr Armstrong to this continuing media blitz when he is in the middle of his final Tour de France."

The letter also said Armstrong's lawyers talked to Miller about the leaks less than two weeks ago and are "extremely frustrated that these leaks have intensified."

"This appears to be a full-blown and largely unmonitored exploration of Floyd Landis' patently unreliable and routinely changing accusations of possible improper conduct in the professional cycling industry at large," Herman wrote.

"In fact, the 'investigation' has recently erupted into a forum for disgruntled Lance haters to bash Armstrong and try to settle old scores."

The letter notes that after seeing some of the leaks in the media, Herman requested a meeting with Miller but that the prosecutor refused to discuss investigation theories or general topics.

"It is egregiously unfair and frustrating for New York reporters to have far more knowledge about this matter than Mr Armstrong or his attorney," Herman wrote.

Armstrong has denied allegations of doping since Floyd Landis went public this spring about his own drug use and accused a number of his US Postal team-mates of doing the same – most prominently Armstrong himself.

Landis sent a series of emails to cycling and doping officials alleging that the use of banned substances was common on the team. Armstrong has consistently denied those allegations and has questioned Landis' credibility.

The New York media have reported that authorities have issued grand jury subpoenas, one of which, according to the New York Daily News, went to American cyclist and three-time Tour winner Greg LeMond, who has feuded with Armstrong for several years.

The investigation has since been extended to cover fraud charges. The most recent development in the Landisgate saga was the New York Daily News’ report that a subpoena had been issued to Trek about the alleged sale of bikes to buy illegal performance enhancing drugs, as we reported last week.