WASHINGTON, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) — The US Congress on Wednesday asked the Justice Department to investigate whether star baseball pitcher Roger Clemens had committed perjury when he denied doping allegations during a key hearing.
Henry Waxman, chairman of the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform committee and the panel's top Republican Tom Davis made the announcement in a letter to US Attorney General Michael Mukasey.
"We believe that his testimony in a sworn deposition of February 5, 2008, and at a hearing on February 13, 2008, that he never used anabolic steroids or human growth hormone, warrants further investigation," the lawmakers wrote.
The dramatic hearing featured an intense grilling of the 45-year-old pitcher and his former trainer Brian McNamee.
Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, vehemently denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs.
McNamee told former US senator George Mitchell that he injected Clemens, regarded as one of the game's all-time greats, with steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) more than a dozen times over a three-year period.
McNamee told former US senator George Mitchell that he injected Clemens with steroids 16 times over several years, the blockbuster revelation of Mitchell's report on baseball doping released in December.
The letter to Mukasey said that the testimony by Clemens was contradicted by the sworn testimony of McNamee and also with a sworn deposition from his former teammate, New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte.
Pettitte testified that Clemens had admitted to him in 1999 or 2000 that he had taken HGH. Clemens arrived at the Houston Astros' spring training camp on Tuesday but declined to discuss the matter.
"All the other stuff that's been going on in the last month, we're moving forward," Clemens said in comments reported on MLB.com. "Everything has been said about it and quite frankly, I think people are getting tired of hearing about it. We're moving on. The sport's been great. We're moving forward."
While the hearing earlier this month appeared to split along party lines, with Republicans supporting Clemens and Democrats backing McNameee, Wednesday's letter indicates that representatives of both parties believe there is enough evidence to pursue perjury charges.
Another point of contention is whether or not Clemens attended a 1998 party hosted by Clemens' former Toronto Blue Jays teammate and admitted steroid user Jose Canseco, who has testified that Clemens was not at the party.
Clemens testified under oath that he was playing golf prior to that night's Blue Jays game against the Florida Marlins.
However, McNamee testified that the 45-year-old Clemens was indeed at the party, which was mentioned in Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's report on steroids and human growth hormone use in baseball.
McNamee told Mitchell he saw Canseco, Clemens and a third person talking together but didn't hear what was said.
According to the Mitchell report, it was sometime after that party that Clemens approached McNamee and raised the subject of using steroids.
Clemens wouldn't be the first US sports star to face a perjury probe over doping allegations.
Baseball home run king Barry Bonds is currently facing trial on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice over his testimony during the BALCO steroid investigation in which he denied using performance enhancing drugs. Bonds pleaded not guilty to the charges in November.
One-time Olympic golden girl Marion Jones was stripped of her five athletics medals from the Sydney Games - three gold and two bronze - and has been sentenced to six months in jail after admitting she lied to federal agents about her drug use during the BALCO investigation.
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