Former major league pitcher Roger Clemens was indicted Thursday for obstruction of Congress, making false statements and perjury related to testimony he gave before a congressional committee in 2008. Wow! This is a man who lied blatantly to the Nation’s leaders and they don’t soon forget it. The Congress’s ability to conduct investigations effectively depends on people telling them the truth and this is why they come down hard on those that lie to them.
The charges stem from a 2008 appearance by the ball player and his former trainer, Brian McNamee, before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. In their sworn testimony, the two contradicted each other, with Clemens denying that he used performance-enhancing drugs. This Clemons is a dunce – everyone knew he used steroids, HGH, etc., so why lie about it? He had to realize that the truth would come out – what kind of pathetic legal advice did Roger get? After all he was appearing voluntarily at the committee’s hearings and was told “whatever you do, just don’t lie.” McNamee’s testimony, as well as a report by former Sen. George Mitchell, stated that Clemens had in fact used banned substances like steroids and HGH at points in his career. A nd now Clemons has to deal with an angry Congress – one that knows they were lied to. Hopefully Clemons has learned his lesson but he still faces potential jail time on these charges. There is the irony – Clemons might go to jail not for taking illegal substances but for lying about it.