Grand jury investigating Clemens

May be nothing, may be something.

A federal grand jury is investigating whether Roger Clemens lied to Congress last year, two people briefed on the matter told The Associated Press on Monday.

Both spoke on condition of anonymity because grand jury proceedings are supposed to be secret.

Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, said in Houston this afternoon that he was not surprised by the news.

The grand jury "is a mechanism for prosecutors to investigate, to have subpoena power," Hardin said.

Congress asked the Justice Department to look into whether the seven-time Cy Young Award winner lied last February when he testified under oath at a deposition and a public House hearing that he never took illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

That contradicted the sworn testimony of his former personal trainer Brian McNamee, who said under oath that he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone.

By bringing the case to a grand jury, the Justice Department escalated the case from an FBI investigation. A grand jury allows prosecutors to get sworn testimony from witnesses and collect documents.

I don't know about you, but the lesson I take from this is that once you lawyer up, unless compelled to do so you let the lawyer do all the talking. And if compelled, you don't say anything you can be hung for later. I hope I never need to take this advice, but if I ever do, would someone please remind me of it at that time? Thanks.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on January 14, 2009 to Baseball