Report: Landis has filed a federal whistle-blower suit

Report: Landis has filed a whistle-blower suit

AUSTIN, Texas — Former Lance Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis has filed a federal whistle-blower lawsuit, The Wall Street Journal is reporting.

Landis is the cyclist who won the Tour de France in 2006 but had the title stripped because of positive drug test. This spring, he ended years of denials by admitting he took performance-enhancing drugs and accused Armstrong and others of doping.

Citing anonymous sources, The Journal reported in a story posted on its website Friday that Landis has filed a suit under the federal False Claims Act. The law allows Americans to sue on behalf of the government alleging the government has been defrauded.

The Journal says the lawsuit is sealed, so it’s not known exactly what it claims. However, Armstrong won six of his seven Tour victories with the U.S. Postal Service team.

The newspaper says the Justice Department is weighing whether to intervene in the suit.

Armstrong vehemently denies he doped to gain a competitive edge.