Feb
Waxman and Pettitte Contradict Clemens
Clemens Defiant Before Congress
(ABC)
By ARIANE de VOGUE, MATT JAFFE and MARCUS BARAM
WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 13, 2008
Roger Clemens defiantly denied under oath today ever using performance-enhancing drugs, denied that he knew his wife used them, and said he was “shocked” to learn that teammate and pal Andy Pettitte had used human growth hormone.
Clemens’ claim of innocence was quickly brought into question, however, by Rep. Henry Waxman, Clemens’ former trainer and chief accuser Brian McNamee, and most seriously by Pettitte.
“We found conflict and inconsistencies in Clemens’ account … statements in his deposition that were not true … simply implausible, or contradicted statements from other witnesses,” said Waxman.
CLICK HERE TO READ ROGER CLEMENS OPENING STATEMENT
Perhaps most damaging to Clemens was the deposition that his close friend Pettitte gave to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform stating that Clemens once admitted that he used human growth hormone. Pettitte said the conversation occurred in 1999 or 2000 in Clemens’ gym.
Waxman, D-Calif., began the hearing by reading Pettitte’s quotes aloud, including Pettitte recalling how Clemens explained that “he did tell me that it helped the body recover.” Clemens later told Pettitte that he must be mistaken in his recollection, that he had been talking about his wife using the drug.
Sitting at the same table with Clemens, McNamee told the panel, “I injected those drugs into Roger Clemens at his direction.” Citing needles he says were allegedly used on Clemens that he turned over to the committee, McNamee said, “This evidence is 100 percent authentic and DNA analysis should bear this out.”
The former trainer added, “While I like and admired Roger Clemens, I don’t think I ever really trusted him.”
Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., summed up the confrontation when he said, “Someone is lying in spectacular fashion.”
Clemens began the hearing in typical “Rocket” fashion, going right at ‘em.
“I appreciate the opportunity to tell this committee and the public — under oath — what I have been saying all along: I have never used steroids, human growth hormone or any other type of illegal performance enhancing drugs,” he said.
He also condemned McNamee, saying, “I had no idea that this man would exploit the trust I gave him to try to save his own skin by making up lies that have devastated me and my family.”
Clemens insisted the use of drugs was “totally incompatible with who I am and what I stand for,” explaining that he gave speeches to young people about the dangers of drugs and citing his attempt to base his entire life on the premise that “your body is your temple.”
But the seven time Cy Young award winning pitcher was soon ducking hard balls from the congressional panel and looked rattled at times as he was grilled over Pettitte’s statement.
Insisting Pettitte was still his friend, he was forced to state over and over, “I think he misremembers.” Clemens recalled being angry when he found out that McNamee had injected his wife, Debbie, with HGH, and later said he was “shocked” when he heard that Pettitte had used the performance enhancing drug.
The problems piled up for Clemens when he insisted he never attended a party at Jose Canseco’s house June 1998 where McNamee claims the two discussed the use of steroids. Canseco and other teammates agreed that Clemens wasn’t at the party.
But Waxman had Clemens at a loss when he revealed that the committee interviewed the former nanny who stated the Clemens family did attend the Canseco barbecue. Waxman said the nanny even remembered that Clemens’ wife and children spent the night at the Canseco home.
Waxman appeared to admonish Clemens by asking why the ballplayer had his own investigators interview the nanny before giving the committee her name and phone number.
After Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., recalled some other contradictory statements by Clemens, Tierney told the former Yankee and Red Sox pitcher, “You can see how this leaves us with some credibility issues.”
McNamee’s credibility was also battered, particularly by Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., who demanded to know why McNamee kept needles he allegedly used on Clemens for five years before turning them over to authorities last week, and why he didn’t volunteer them to investigators before that time. He also pressed McNamee on several previous statements he made, forcing McNamee to admit they were untrue.
“It’s just lie after lie after lie. I don’t know what to believe,” Burton fumed. “I know one thing I don’t believe and that’s you…. All of these lies are destroying him and his reputation. How can he get his reputation back?” Clemens started the day with a statement that was both defiant and melodramatic, spinning a story about his tough upbringing, that he was “not born with a silver spoon in my mouth,” citing the death of his stepfather and his mother’s need to work several jobs to make ends meet.
Clemens also noted his visits to the troops in Kuwait, Qatar and Afghanistan “and salute them as our nation’s true role models” and his charitable work with special-needs kids.
He defended his vigorous defense of his reputation, saying “Yet I am accused of being a criminal and I am not supposed to be angry about that?”
Pettitte was originally scheduled to testify alongside Clemens but earlier in the week the committee announced that his live testimony would no longer be necessary. Pettitte filed an additional affidavit in place of having to show up at the hearing for what was sure to be an awkward reunion with his old friend and workout partner.
Instead, Clemens will testify alongside McNamee, his former trainer who has told federal authorities as well as representatives of the Mitchell report that he injected Clemens with performance enhancing drugs 16 times.
The Mitchell Report, commissioned by Major League Baseball and written by former Sen. George Mitchell and his staff, was released late last year and detailed allegations of illegal use of steroids and human growth hormone in professional baseball.
Charles P. Scheeler, who worked on the Mitchell report, also testified at the hearing.
The hearing was called in part because Clemens has adamantly denied Mitchell’s findings. At the hearing, Congress members are expected to hear excerpts from depositions of former ballplayer Chuck Knoblauch as well as former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, who later became an informant for federal investigators. Both men are expected to testify that the Mitchell report was correct in its findings.
Before his deposition, Pettitte had acknowledged that McNamee’s allegations about him in the Mitchell report were true, but it was not known what he had said about Clemens.
Clemens had said repeatedly that McNamee had only injected him with vitamin B-12 and the painkiller lidocaine. At the hearing, the committee will also hear about secretly taped telephone conversations between parties as well as e-mail correspondence.
One focus of the committee will be on Clemens’ medical records. The records, which have been submitted to Congress, will be studied for any evidence that might reveal a side effect that could indicate an abuse of steroids.
Clemens and his attorneys have submitted to the committee a report by Dr. Bert O’Malley of Baylor University. O’Malley, who examined Clemens’ 1995-2007 medical records free of charge after being approached by Clemens’ attorney Rusty Hardin, found no evidence in these records to suggest that the ballplayer had taken steroids.
At the end of the hearings the committee could decide to refer its findings to federal authorities. No decision on the referral has been made.
