Roger Clemens to be indicted for perjury, report says
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Former major league baseball pitcher Roger Clemens will be indicted on perjury charges after denying using performance-enhancing drugs before Congress, according to the New York Times.
The paper said federal authorities’ decision to indict Clemens comes nearly two years after he and his former trainer, Brian McNamee, delivered contradictory testimony under oath about whether he used the illicit substances. Their conflicting statements came during a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
The newspaper said an announcement on the matter is expected in the near future.
[Updated at 12:41 p.m.: Victor Conte, founder and head of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) which distributed then-undetectable steroids to some of the world’s most talented athletes, said, “The indictment of Roger Clemens comes as no surprise to me. In my opinion, the case against Clemens is far stronger than the case against Barry Bonds.
‘Brian McNamee is an eye witness who will testify against Clemens and there appears to be strong physical evidence against him as well. The government simply does not have this type of evidence against Bonds. I believe Roger Clemens is in a lot of trouble.’]
[Updated at 2:26 p.m.: In an interview this afternoon with The Times, McNamee’s lawyer, Earl Ward, said, ‘This is vindication for Brian. It’s a sad day when someone of Roger Clemens’ stature faces the specter of going to jail.
‘But this does demonstrate Brian was telling the truth all along.’
Ward said McNamee, who has already provided information to baseball’s Mitchell Report, Congress and the federal grand jury that led to Clemens’ indictment, also plans ‘to provide trial testimony,’ whenever it begins.]
-- Melissa Rohlin
