United States President Donald Trump signed into law on Friday the anti-doping bill that allows U.S. justice officials to impose criminal penalties against individuals involved in doping conspiracies at international events involving American athletes, broadcasters, or sponsors.
The Rodchenkov Act Signed Into Law
The Rodchenkov Act was named after the whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, who helped uncover Russia's state-sponsored doping, provides prosecutors the power to seek fines at a maximum of $1 million and jail terms of up to 10 years, including restitution to victims.
The legislation was previously denounced by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Rodchenkov is the former chief of Russia's main doping control laboratory located in Moscow.
Signed by President Trump, the new law will criminalize international doping conspiracies. The move closes out a two-year legislative process wherein the only true opposition to the bill was courtesy outside the United States.
The Anti-doping Act had previously passed both Congress houses on voice votes.
"Dopers should be on clear notice: there is a new sheriff in town, so cheat at your own peril," read a part of a statement from Rodchenkov, reported BBC.
The Senate passed the measure in November, preparing the stage for the act to be implemented as law with President Trump's stamp of approval.
Basically, the law calls for fines and jail sentences for individuals involved in doping schemes at international sports events.
Individual athletes who used performance-enhancing drugs would not be imposed criminal prosecution under the new law. However, WADA has repeatedly condemned it.
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According to Rodchenkov's lawyer Jim Walden, "(The law gives) the Department of Justice a powerful and unique set of tools to eradicate doping fraud and related criminal activities from international competitions," reported Reuters.
It was now the Department of Justice's responsibility to create a vigorous program, in coordination with the United States Anti-Doping Agency and international law enforcement to hold the guilty accountable and create zero tolerance for sports doping.
Rodchenkov claimed a prevalent state-run furtive campaign to supply athletes with doping and conceal their test results from inspectors abroad. Russia denied the existence of such a state-sponsored campaign.
The Anti-doping Act was passed notwithstanding lobbying efforts from the WADA, which stated it would disturb the "global legal anti-doping framework."
The bill was the counter to the scandal in Russia from the IOC, WADA, and other international sports leagues that prompted the United States to pursue the law. Representatives from the American drug-control office teemed at WADA's efforts to lobby for expansive alterations to the bill.
Guilty individuals could be fined up to $1 million and detainment.
The law does not apply to the United States professional and college sports. For that, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency laws cover offenses.
The law commenced with February 2018 talks at a U.S. Helsinki Commission meeting, a panel of U.S. lawmakers that mulls over U.S.-Europe issues.
According to Jim Walden, Rodchenkov's attorney, "Three years ago, the idea to criminalize doping fraud and the corruption it breeds was born at a briefing on Capitol Hill," reported France 24.
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