Clemens charged with perjury in steroid case
WASHINGTON
[ READ THE FULL INDICTMENT AGAINST ROGER CLEMENS ]
The case writes a new chapter in one of baseball's worst
scandals, the rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs in the
1990s and early 2000s, and leaves Clemens' legacy in jeopardy.
The six-count indictment alleges that Clemens obstructed a
congressional inquiry with 15 different statements made under oath,
including denials that he had ever used steroids or human growth
hormone.
Former Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, the top Republican on the
House panel at the time of Clemens' testimony, called it "a
self-inflicted wound."
Clemens had been prominently mentioned in the Mitchell Report,
Major League Baseball's own accounting of its steroid problem, and
he went to Capitol Hill on his own to clear his name.
"Clemens was not under subpoena. He came voluntarily," Davis
said. "And I sat there in the office with (committee chairman)
Henry Waxman and said, 'Whatever you do, don't lie."'
Clemens was sticking to his story Thursday. He insisted he was
telling the truth, again denying any wrongdoing on or off the
field.
"Roger is looking forward to his day in court," Clemens lawyer
Rusty Hardin told a news conference. "He is happy this has finally
happened. We have known for some time this was going to happen.
We'll let everything get taken care of in court."
"I never took HGH or Steroids. And I did not lie to Congress,"
Clemens said on Twitter. "I look forward to challenging the
Governments accusations, and hope people will keep an open mind
until trial. I appreciate all the support I have been getting. I am
happy to finally have my day in court."
Hardin said federal prosecutors made Clemens a plea offer but he
rejected it. Hardin declined to comment on details of the proposed
plea deal -- which ordinarily involves admitting to a crime while
avoiding the scenario of a multiple-count indictment as happened in
the Clemens case.
Clemens faces a combined maximum sentence of 30 years in prison
and a $1.5 million fine if convicted on all charges. However, under
U.S. sentencing guidelines, he would probably face no more than 15
to 21 months in prison.
Clemens is just the latest superstar to be ensnared in
baseball's steroid scandal. All-time home run king Barry Bonds is
scheduled to go on trial in March on charges of lying to a federal
grand jury when he said he never knowingly used
performance-enhancing drugs. Slugger Mark McGwire admitted earlier
this year to using steroids.
What once seemed to be a he-said vs. he-said dispute between
Clemens and his former trainer, Brian McNamee, once the New York
Yankees' strength and conditioning coach, escalated into a federal
case. The grand jury heard testimony from McNamee, who gave federal
authorities syringes he said were used to inject Clemens with
drugs.
Hardin said that although many have argued that Clemens should
simply admit he took steroids, "the problem is nobody ever talks
about what he should have done if he didn't do it."
"And he didn't do it and he's adamant about that and always has
been. Today is just another continuing part of that saga," Hardin
said.
Clemens, who turned 48 this month, ranks ninth on the career
list with 354 victories. He once was considered a certain
first-ballot Hall of Famer, but getting in at all is now in
question.
"In my opinion, he's a Hall of Famer. Period," said New York
Yankees slugger Lance Berkman, who played with Clemens in Houston.
"Whatever you want to say about the guy, he belongs in the Hall of
Fame. In my opinion, legacy-wise, I guess that's up to -- I mean,
200 years from now, who cares?
"But in the short term, I guess, he may have some things to
address," Berkman said. "He's a big boy. He'll face up to
whatever it is. But it doesn't change my opinion of him at all."
Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who played with Clemens on two
World Series championship teams, said he would back his former
teammate.
"I'm going to support him and I'm going to be behind him and
that's all I can say," Posada said.
MLB did not comment on the indictment. But many in the game saw
it as further validation of the Mitchell Report, released in
December 2007.
Clemens was singled out by name 82 times in the 409-page report,
compiled by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. Much of
the information on Clemens came from McNamee.
Former MVP Jose Canseco, who has admitted his own steroid use
and accused others, was the most-mentioned player in the Mitchell
Report with 105 references.
"I am saddened to hear of the indictment of my friend and
former teammate, Roger Clemens," Canseco said in a statement
through his attorney. "I am not aware of any use of steroids by
Roger."
Four days after the report was released, Clemens issued a
categorical denial in a statement through his agent.
"I am disappointed that my 25 years in public life have
apparently not earned me the benefit of the doubt, but I understand
that Senator Mitchell's report has raised many serious questions. I
plan to publicly answer all of those questions at the appropriate
time in the appropriate way. I only ask that in the meantime people
not rush to judgment," Clemens said.
Clemens and McNamee testified under oath at the 2008 hearing
before a House committee and contradicted each other about whether
the pitcher had used PEDs.
McNamee has said he injected Clemens more than a dozen times
with steroids and HGH from 1998 to 2001. Clemens says McNamee was
lying.
"As far as we're concerned, it's vindication," Earl Ward, one
of McNamee's attorneys, said of the indictment.
Clemens' case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton,
who presided over the perjury and obstruction trial of Vice
President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter"
Libby. No date was set for Clemens' initial court appearance.
In his defiant testimony to the House Oversight and Government
Reform Committee, Clemens said, "I've been accused of something
I'm not guilty of."
Longtime Clemens friend and teammate Andy Pettitte told
congressional investigators that Clemens confided to him that he
had used HGH.
"I believe Andy has misheard" the conversation, Clemens
responded. He said he had simply mentioned to Pettitte a TV show
about three older men who used HGH to get back their quality of
life.
Pettitte was taking part in a charity event after New York's
11-5 win over Detroit at Yankee Stadium on Thursday and wasn't
immediately commenting, the team said.
Clemens was an 11-time All-Star. During a 23-year career that
ended in 2007, he played for the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue
Jays, the Yankees and the Houston Astros and struck out 4,672 with
a lifetime 3.12 ERA.
The Clemens matter was the second referral the congressional
committee made to the Justice Department. The other involved Miguel
Tejada, who pleaded guilty to making misleading statements to
committee investigators in 2005 regarding his knowledge of
performance-enhancing drugs.
"The indictment of Roger Clemens comes as no surprise to me,"
said Victor Conte, founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative,
the center of a drug scandal that enveloped Bonds and other star
athletes.
"In my opinion, the case against Clemens is far stronger than
the case against Barry Bonds. Brian McNamee is an eyewitness who
will testify against Clemens and there appears to be strong
physical evidence against him as well," he said. "I believe Roger
Clemens is in a lot of trouble."
Conte pleaded guilty to steroid distribution in July 2005 and
served four months in jail.