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Sabiana
Veteran Poster
Username: Sabiana
Post Number: 225
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 15, 2008 - 02:57 am: | 
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Feb. 15 (Bloomberg) -- A lawyer for Roger Clemens's chief accuser said yesterday he expects the All-Star pitcher to be pardoned by President George W. Bush over his testimony to Congressional investigators about Clemens's alleged steroid use.
Richard Emery, an attorney for Brian McNamee, said that Clemens's agreement to testify under oath, placing him in jeopardy of a perjury prosecution, is a sign that the outgoing Republican president will pardon the All-Star pitcher. Clemens cited his friendship with the president's father, former President George H.W. Bush, at the hearing that was divided largely along party lines.
Emery also said it was clear at the hearing two days ago before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that Republicans were attacking McNamee and supporting Clemens in ``the most blatant, biased and most prejudiced ways,'' while Democrats were cross-examining both Clemens and McNamee.
``It is certainly my view, that they got a direction from elsewhere, whether it's directly from the White House or the Republican Party, who knows, that they were there to support Clemens,'' Emery said in a telephone interview.
Rusty Hardin, one of Clemens's lawyers, said in a statement that ``Richard Emery just has to quit smoking his own dope.''
White House spokesman Tony Fratto declined to comment. Karen Lightfoot, a spokeswoman for House committee Chairman Henry Waxman, said the California Democrat was in meetings and unavailable for comment. Brian McNicoll, spokesman for the committee's ranking minority member, Tom Davis, declined to comment.
`No Downside'
Clemens's representatives must believe there was ``no downside'' for the pitcher to testify, under oath, Emery said.
``That would mean that if they were prosecuted they will get a pardon,'' he said. ``That is the sense I have from the way the hearing was conducted. There is a message from powers far above the committee that Roger is to be favored.''
Emery said Clemens, 45, who has not been charged with any crimes, could be pardoned prospectively by Bush, as former U.S. President Richard Nixon was by succeeding President Gerald Ford. This would prevent any further investigation of Clemens or criminal charges. Bush's presidency expires in January.
Clemens, 45, was accused of using steroids and human growth hormone in former Senator George Mitchell's report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Clemens has repeatedly denied using the drugs, despite contradictory testimony by McNamee, his former trainer, and former teammate and training partner Andy Pettitte.
During the hearing, Clemens cited his friendship with the senior Bush, a baseball fan who regularly attends Houston Astros games. The younger Bush was a one-time owner of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers.
Waxman Accusation
Waxman accused Clemens at the hearing two days ago of lying to congressional investigators during his deposition and making statements ``that we know are untrue.''
Waxman told reporters after the hearing that he found McNamee, 40, reliable, while Davis, a Republican from Virginia, said McNamee was ``obviously, not the most reliable witness.''
McNamee's harshest criticism came from Republicans Dan Burton and Chris Shays. McNamee, under questioning from Burton, admitted lying repeatedly to reporters in writing about steroids in baseball, and lied in failing to disclose everything he knew about the Clemens situation as the investigation advanced.
``You're here to tell the truth. You're here under oath,'' Burton said to McNamee during the hearing. ``And yet we have lie after lie after lie after lie, where you've told this committee and the people of this country that Roger Clemens did things that -- I don't know what to believe. I know one thing I don't believe, and that's you.''
Shays said that McNamee's actions were no different than those of a drug dealer.
Waxman and Davis said after the hearing that they made no decision on recommending action by federal prosecutors on perjury for either Clemens or McNamee.
Emery said he isn't concerned about McNamee being charged.
``He told the truth,'' Emery said. ``The only exposure from (the) hearing is to Roger Clemens.''
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Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 9925
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 15, 2008 - 07:43 am: |
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I generally believe Congress have much more important things to do that to chase after steriod/HGH users. I mean, if you want to risk your life to get some extra edge on on field, court or diamond, that you and your shriveled nuts business, as far as I'm concerned.
But I did find the political jousting over Clemens a tad intriguing. And if the US Attorney General does NOT indict Clemens that's just a glaring examples of one of the great weaknesses of the nation's criminal justices system: It's not whether or not one commits a crime that's the issue, it's MORE about who IS or ISN'T pursued, arrested, charged, indicted, etc. that determine who IS and ISN'T labeled a criminal. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 6306
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 16, 2008 - 10:07 am: |
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Not Amazing. This is America. |
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