The Justice Department Monday filed a sealed response to allegations that federal prosecutors have leaked details of a probe into claims that cyclist Lance Armstrong has used performance-enhancing drugs, the Associated Press reported.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California said the DOJ had filed the response under seal to avoid violating the rules that require that grand jury proceedings remain secret.
In July, Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France winner, accused Justice officials of attempting to ruin his legacy by leaking details of a grand jury probe into doping allegations.
In a motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Califfornia, John W. Keker, the star trial lawyer of Keker & Van Nest LLP, said that, “Someone in this district with regular access to grand jury information is routinely flouting the law requiring grand jury secrecy.”
“The leaks seem more like a public relations campaign to portray Armstrong as having violated cycling rules during European competitions, and an attempt to justify why the government should even pursue a criminal investigation,” he said.
Armstrong asked the judge to examine the phone records of Justice Department officials and reporters to determine who may have leaked the information. He also raised the possibility of asking the court to order journalists who wrote stories about the allegations to disclose their sources — a request that is certain to be fought by the news organizations involved.
