home

Roger Clemens Charged With Lying To Congress

NYTimes:

A federal grand jury has indicted Roger Clemens on charges of making false statements to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. The 19-page indictment charges Clemens with three counts of making false statements and two counts of perjury in connection with his February 2008 testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. According to the United States attorney’s office, Clemens faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine, but under the current sentencing guidelines, a conviction would likely bring 15-21 months.

Clemens’s allegedly false testimony came in a public hearing in which Clemens and his former trainer Brian McNamee, testifying under oath, directly contradicted each other about whether Clemens had used the banned substances.

A crime is a crime (Indictment (PDF), but the real issue to me is what in blazes was Congress doing asking stupid questions about issues that have nothing to do with their jobs? I mean is Congress going to pass laws on PEDs in sports? Really? When does the big Lance Armstrong investigation start? Just stupid.

Speaking for me only

< Dems Who Fight For The Rich | Private Health Insurance In Decline >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    Jeralyn's advice not followed . . . (5.00 / 0) (#1)
    by Untold Story on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:36:26 PM EST
    He insisted on going before Congress to prove his innocence - rather than quite quiet - don't say a word!

    Also, agree, what is Congress doing with all this - they should spend time on health care and try to get that corrected!

    The more I think about it... (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by kdog on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:37:21 PM EST
    the angrier I get...the comedic steroids in baseball hearings were in 2008, bad enough, and then we paid federal prosecutors and their staff for two years to come up with charges against Roger Clemens for lying to the professional liars at those hearings?

    I'd love to hear a defense of this whole she-bang because I'd call it an indefensible waste of time, money, and resources.  Taxpayers should file suit for damages.

    Here is the GAO (none / 0) (#22)
    by JamesTX on Fri Aug 20, 2010 at 12:41:14 AM EST
    website for reporting waste, fraud and abuse with federal funds.

    http://www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm

    I think I may just file a report.

    Parent

    Congressional Focus (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by MO Blue on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:43:31 PM EST
    Jobs and the economy or Robert Clemens? Seems like a no brainer to me. They would much rather shine the spotlight on anything other than their responsibility in creating and failing to fix the real problems that face this country.

    Tsk, tsk, sports players lying. Mosques, professional left smoking dope, how much Obama prays teapartys and "mama grizzlies." Please, please can we talk about anything other than how bad Congress (both parties) is failing to represent the people they were elected to represent.

    So can Congress members get (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by ruffian on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:58:21 PM EST
    charged with lying to congress? Seems to me they do it all the time.

    The Members have to take an oath of office (none / 0) (#16)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 05:26:40 PM EST
    Majority of the members of Congress (none / 0) (#18)
    by MO Blue on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 05:38:38 PM EST
    broke their oath of office when they sacrificed our 4th Amendment rights.

    I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;


    Parent
    As for the PED's in Cycling hearings... (none / 0) (#4)
    by kdog on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:45:12 PM EST
    they are scheduled right after the marijuana use in the reggae music business hearings, and before the hookers and blow on Wall St. hearings...mark your calendars.

    John McCain (none / 0) (#7)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:54:15 PM EST
    wasted a lot of time on boxing hearings.

    Parent
    The conclusion in the linked article (none / 0) (#5)
    by oculus on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:52:22 PM EST
    does not to seem to logically follow the discussion.  Conclusion is the committee has jurisdiction because of federal drug laws and MLB's antitrust exemption.  link

    Seemed to me to be a photo op.

    Jurisdiction to do what? (none / 0) (#6)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:53:39 PM EST
    Uncover the fact that Roger Clemens was juiced?

    Great use of resources there.

    Parent

    Under analogous Supreme Court precedent, (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 05:35:01 PM EST
    a false answer is arguably not a crime under this statute unless given in response to a question that was material to the subject matter of the hearing, and the hearing was being conducted within the proper legislative jurisdiction of the committee. Russell v US (1962).

    Parent
    The discussion in the article seems to (none / 0) (#8)
    by oculus on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:56:23 PM EST
    state this Congressional investigative committee must keep an eye on whether MLB should still be exempt!  

    But, I agree w/you.

    P.S.  Padres acquired Tejeda just before trade deadline.  Former owner would not have ok's the trade.  Present owners were undeterred by his Tejeda's reputation for using steroids.

    Parent

    Undeterred? (none / 0) (#9)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:57:54 PM EST
    They're counting on it. Just kidding.

    But seriously, the "shocked, shocked" they were juiced crap from MLB is just ridiculous.

    Parent

    Well, former MLB players' agent Jeff (none / 0) (#11)
    by oculus on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 03:59:53 PM EST
    Moorad is buying out John Moores.  Suspect Moorad is just fine w/steroid-using players. Moores was also in 1998.  He got a new ballpark and lots of real estate to develop.

    Parent
    First they wasted two years on Libby (none / 0) (#13)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 04:25:15 PM EST
    then they wasted two years on Blago...

    six years on Delay...

    and now they have wasted two years on this...

    and the meter is still running on Blago and Clemens...

    Yet they can't prosecute the 9/11 mastermind

    No wonder the audiences pulled for the bad guys in The Godfather trilogy.

    It's true they wasted time (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Natal on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 11:16:30 PM EST
    but on the other side think of the time they saved by not charging Cheney in the Plame affair or not charging Rove in the state attorney scandal or not charging John Yee in the tortune scandal.

    Parent
    Oh really?? (none / 0) (#23)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Aug 20, 2010 at 08:07:12 AM EST
    Both were part of an investigation so your straw man has no pants....

    And then they did save money by stopping the New Black Panther voter intimidation investigation..

    And we mention that Gonzales was cleared????

    As was Delay????

    And Libby was convicted of what has become an infamous charge... Lying to the FBI.

    Parent

    Starting to think... (none / 0) (#24)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 20, 2010 at 08:17:01 AM EST
    we've got it backwards...telling the truth to the FBI or Congress should get you an indictment for criminal stupidity...lying to them qualifies you for a medal of freedom.

    Parent
    And (none / 0) (#26)
    by lentinel on Fri Aug 20, 2010 at 10:33:03 AM EST
    they're "turning the page" on Bush and Cheney - torturers, shredders of the constitution - slaughterers.

    Parent
    Can we (none / 0) (#14)
    by Zorba on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 05:04:57 PM EST
    ask Congress and the Feds to use their time (and our taxpayer money) for something more productive than this?  I swear, can we discover another planet to move to, because I'm getting sick and tired of this one.  

    There are many earths in the Milky Way (5.00 / 0) (#15)
    by Untold Story on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 05:10:40 PM EST
    . . . but how to get there?

    Parent
    Deepak (none / 0) (#19)
    by observed on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 06:54:00 PM EST
    knows.

    Parent
    Jump the gap (5.00 / 0) (#20)
    by ruffian on Thu Aug 19, 2010 at 07:12:43 PM EST
    Or fall into it? I get confused.

    Parent
    A bit of a contrast. (none / 0) (#25)
    by lentinel on Fri Aug 20, 2010 at 10:31:02 AM EST
    30 years for Clemens. He enhanced his performance at baseball games (maybe) using drugs.

    Mickey Mantle played drunk.
    Reportedly, congress is considering having his body exhumed so that he can be prosecuted.

    But - let's let bygones be bygones when it comes to Bush and Cheney - two of the most obvious felons in the history of this country.

    And lets not get started... (none / 0) (#27)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 20, 2010 at 10:35:00 AM EST
    on bennies in baseball back in the day...how do we think they played through them hangovers?  Mothers Little Helpers.

    Parent