News flash: Jeff Novitzky to interview Jose Canseco about Clemens: party apparition or not?

Jeff Novitzky (misspelled in the ABC piece) appears poised to pursue Roger Clemens.  ABC News says Novitzky -- lead BALCO investigator -- made contact with Jose Canseco's lawyer; the interview seems to be set.  (also Congress to launch letter to Justice about the Rocket; the wives compared implants at the party)

ABC News has learned that Jeff Novitsky, the IRS agent who has spearheaded the federal investigation into the use of steroids by professional athletes, has asked to speak to former baseball player Jose Canseco about pictures that have emerged allegedly showing Roger Clemens at a party that Clemens swore, under oath in his congressional deposition, that he did not attend.

The photos, if verified, could put Clemens in legal jeopardy.

A lawyer for Canseco, Robert Saunooke, said his client intends to "fully cooperate," and has tentatively agreed to meet with Novitsky in San Francisco in the next couple of weeks.

Perhaps the question that has held America captive for 3 months will be answered soon: did Clemens party with Canseco?  Stay tuned for the juicy details.

In his sworn deposition, Clemens denied adamantly ever attending the 1998 party held at the house of his then-teammate Canseco. He was asked if he had been at Canseco's house at any time around the June 9 party, and he replied "no."

Clemens' initial denial of having attended the party had been an important part of his lawyers' attempts to undermine the accuracy of the Mitchell Report, the explosive findings of an investigation led by former Sen. George Mitchell, that accused Clemens of taking steroids. The Mitchell Report claims that Clemens was at the party.

Friday evening, Rusty Hardin, a lawyer for Clemens, released a statement saying he had been contacted earlier in the month by a man who said he had pictures of Clemens and his son together at the party. According to Hardin, the man told him that the pictures show Clemens in the pool with the man's then-11-year-old son. According to Hardin, the man said he'd call back but never did.

Richard Emery, a lawyer for Brian McNamee, Clemens' former trainer, who has said that he injected Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs, said that he, too, learned about the existence of the photos. In an interview with ABC, Emery said he told federal prosecutors and congressional investigators about the existence of the photos last week. Emery was told one picture was of the boy in a pool with Clemens, and the other was of the boy and Canseco.

Thus, Clemens might be target of not only a Congressional perjury probe, but also an IRS/FBI steroids investigation.

Comments

[Jason Van Buiten]

Take a look at that TIME article. Look at the picture and his HR total from 1999-2000 and 2000-2001. Right at the exact age the every other player begins to decline. Its not humanly possible to hit 73 HR in a season. Im sorry.