Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
January 07, 2008
First to Sue

Roger Clemens filed a law suit against Brian McNamee:

In a defamation lawsuit filed Sunday night, Roger Clemens claims Brian McNamee, his longtime trainer and chief accuser of steroid abuse, was threatened with jail if he didn't connect the pitcher to steroids.

The lawsuit was filed electronically with the Harris County civil courts Sunday evening just before CBS locally aired Clemens' interview on 60 Minutes.

So Clemens throws the first law suit. I wonder if McNamee will counter sue, and if this case will prevent the two from testifying before Congress?

This is all getting very Orwellian. According to McNamee, he was threatened with jail if he didn't tell the truth. According to Clemens McNamee was threatened with jail if he didn't lie. That second part doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I understand the federal investigators are pursuing these cases zealously. I don't understand why they benefit from framing Clemens. I'm guessing the feds have some other evidence or testimony they used to force McNamee to talk. With a lawsuit in place, maybe we'll find out.


Posted by David Pinto at 09:04 AM | Cheating | TrackBack (0)
Comments

It smells like a congressional hearing dodge, otherwise he would have had to choose between following Bonds or taking the Fifth.

Posted by: abe at January 7, 2008 09:39 AM

Why do we need Clemens et al appearing in front of Congress? If the feds have the goods, charge him and start the trial - no star chamber legal systems!

You worry about our legal system when it takes 4 years plus to get Bonds in court - and for perjury. If any citizen with a lack of wealth or fame was charged, they would be crushed like a bug!

Posted by: rmt at January 7, 2008 11:33 AM

For what it's worth, clemens is already being called a liar.

Story.

Posted by: sefewr at January 7, 2008 11:43 AM

It's a familiar claim--it's the one that Susan MacDougal made for why she wouldn't appear in front of the Whitewater grand jury (that Ken Starr would go after her for perjury if she didn't bury the Clintons), only Clemens is using it "on behalf" of someone who is denying it rather than for himself. Considering that MacDougal's claim was rather lame, this version of it is even less convincing. On the other hand, the lawsuit creates another forum where he will testify under oath that he didn't use, and is therefore at least theoretically putting himself at risk of prosecution. If he gets through the lawsuits and any testimony before Congress without being prosecuted for perjury, I think he may be home free as far as Cooperstown goes.

Posted by: M. Scott Eiland at January 7, 2008 12:18 PM

I'm just glad that the looming Social Security problem has been fixed, that we have a rational energy policy and the tax code has been straightened out. Way to go, Congress!

Posted by: rbj at January 7, 2008 02:52 PM
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