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Roger Clemens Indicted for Allegedly Lying to Congress About Using Steroids, HGH
Roger Clemens (AP Photo, file)
WASHINGTON (AP) A federal grand jury doesn't buy Roger Clemens' pitch to Congress that he never used steroids or human growth hormone.'
The seven-time Cy Young Award winner was indicted by the grand jury Thursday for allegedly lying to lawmakers about using the performance-enhancing substances. The criminal case writes a new chapter in one of Major League Baseball's worst scandals, the rampant use of the banned substances.
A six-count indictment alleges that Clemens obstructed a congressional inquiry with 15 different statements that he made under oath in 2008, including denials that he had ever used steroids or human growth hormone. The indictment says that he lied and committed perjury regarding the same matters.
The former pitcher and his former trainer, Brian McNamee, testified under oath at a 2008 hearing before a House committee and contradicted each other about whether Clemens had used performance-enhancing drugs.
McNamee has told federal agents, baseball investigator George Mitchell and the committee that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and human growth hormone from 1998 to 2001.
Clemens has maintained that McNamee was lying.
"As far as we're concerned, it's vindication," Earl Ward, one of McNamee's attorneys, said of the indictment.
No date has been set for Clemens initial court appearance.
Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, had no immediate comment. 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. ... I have never taken steroids or HGH."
Former Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, who was the top Republican on the House panel at the time of the baseball star's testimony, called the indictment "a self-inflicted wound" by Clemens.
"Clemens was not under subpoena. He came voluntarily. He wanted to come to the committee and clear his name," Davis said. "And I sat there in the office with (committee chairman) Henry Waxman and said, 'Whatever you do, don't lie."'
Davis added: "I did not want to refer this to Justice, but we didn't have any choice."
During a 23-year career as a starting pitcher, Clemens played for the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros, chalking up 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and a lifetime earned run average of 3.12.
Clemens who turned 48 this month, is ninth on the all-time wins list with 354 and was an 11-time All-Star.
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