Lance Armstrong just settled a “$100m fraud suit” in the US, according to reports . He could have been forced to pay out $100m for having defrauded his team’s sponsor, the US Postal Service, but instead settled for $5m.

His former team-mate Floyd Landis also doped but testified against him and will receive $1.1 million and have his $1.65 million legal fees paid by Armstrong.

[contentcards url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/lance-armstrong-settles-100-million-us-government-doping-fraud-case-for-5-million/2018/04/19/effa18fe-4263-11e8-ad8f-27a8c409298b_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e797f4deceab”]

This case highlights the contradictions in the US system, whereby a perpetrator of criminality can receive a payoff instead of a jail term.

The Swiss and US Authorities seem to be the busiest, but in opposite directions. This case is from 2012:

[contentcards url=”https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tax-birkenfeld/whistleblower-in-ubs-tax-case-gets-record-104-million-idUSBRE88A0TE20120911″]

And in this case, under the Trump administration, the US authorities took the whistleblowers to court in order to try and get out of paying them.

[contentcards url=”https://www.whistleblowersblog.org/2018/03/articles/tax-whistleblowers/doj-drops-case-irs-whistleblowers-to-receive-12-9-million-award/”]

The UK just announced a funding increase for its Serious Fraud Office (SFO):

[contentcards url=”https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/serious-fraud-office-given-50-per-cent-rise-in-funding-x659cvqfz”]

Today is its leader, David Green’s last day. No replacement has been announced. The political uncertainty over the identity of agency’s next boss reminds me of the permanent shambles that is Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry and, more recently, of what is happening in America at the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB).

The CFPB was set up by the Wall Street friendly Obama administration to help consumers after the financial crisis:

[contentcards url=”https://www.npr.org/2018/04/12/601965298/legal-battle-over-who-runs-consumer-bureau-continues”]

It’s now being led by Trump stooge Mick Mulvaney who is also in charge of the Office of Management and Budget where he is overseeing the dismantling of the US budget and regulations. Mulvaney is only acting head of the CFPB but it looks like his he is already taking all the steps he can to destroy it.

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