Cyclist Lance Armstrong agreed to pay $5 million to the federal government on Thursday to settle a lawsuit claiming that he defrauded the U.S. Postal Service by using “performance-enhancing drugs” when the agency sponsored his cycling team, Elliot Peters, Armstrong’s lead lawyer, told The New York Times. The government originally sought $100 million from Armstrong. The agreement comes after years of arm-twisting on both sides, with Armstrong’s side denying that the Postal Service was harmed and Peters calling it “a bogus case.” Armstrong admitted to doping in 2013, saying he had used banned substances during his record-breaking seven Tour de France wins. He was stripped of all his titles following a 2012 investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Floyd Landis, a former teammate of Armstrong’s, was the original plaintiff in the case. He is set to receive $1.1 million from the settlement money, and Armstrong will have to pay him an additional $1.65 million to cover his legal costs.
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