Even before Roger Clemens or Brian McNamee begin their testimony Wednesday in front of the House committee investigating steroids in baseball, one of Clemens’ lawyers, Rusty Hardin, fired an opening salvo toward IRS agent Jeff Novitzky.
Hardin accused Novitzky, who has led the BALCO steroids investigation and plans to attend the hearing, of being “brazen” and “unbelievable” in intimidation tactics.
Hardin then added: “I can tell you this: If he ever messes with Roger, Roger will eat his lunch.”
That drew the ire of Rep. Henry A. Waxman, chairman of the House committee, whose committee excused former Yankees Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch and Mets clubhouse guy Kirk Radomski from testifying.
Pettitte, according to a number of reports, did not want to testify in an open hearing because his sworn testimony in a deposition was supportive of McNamee and damaging to Clemens.
Waxman said Hardin’s remarks could be interpreted as “an attempt to intimidate a federal law-enforcement official in the performance of his official duties.”
Hardin wrote to Waxman that he regretted the “eat his lunch” remark but would not back down from the general premise that he believes Novitzky has been trying to intimidate people.
“I no more intended to intimidate agent Novitzky than you intended to intimidate me by publicly releasing a letter chiding me for my conduct as my client prepares to appear before your committee.”
In his letter to Hardin, Waxman said that some previous remarks by Hardin, and by McNamee’s lawyers, “struck me as inadvisable, but I have refrained from making any comment.”
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