Essentially it is suggesting the possibility that, if making false staements (such as complying with WADA or Tour or other rules relating to celan racing etc) in the course of getting US Fed funds (ie Postal Service sponsorship)
Indeed, investigations amy already be underway without us or Lance even knowing it.If a False Claims case can be proven, Armstrong and his teammates could be held liable for three times the actual monies that the Postal Service paid to sponsor his cycling teams. Armstrong and his crew would also be liable for civil penalties of between $5 and $11 thousand dollars for each false statement made in furtherance of securing funding.
Being in Lance's shoes must be a miserable place to be right now. There are threats everywhere it seems.False Claims suits are filed under seal, and served on the United States Department of Justice. The government investigates the case while it is under seal and makes a decision about whether to join the whistleblower in the litigation. The law also allows for the government to initiate False Claims litigation even when there is no whistleblower.
Because these cases remain under seal, and thus secret during the government’s investigation, it is only a matter of speculation as to whether an actual suit has been filed against Armstrong and his teammates. Yet, given the facts that have come out already, observers should not rule out the day when a suit is unsealed and the US False Claims Act meets the sporting world.