Credibility in the Clemens case

NY Times:

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According to the lawsuit, McNamee did not implicate Clemens until a second day of questioning last June by Jeff Novitzky, a federal agent leading various steroids investigations, and Matthew Parrella, an assistant United States attorney in San Francisco. The lawsuit, quoting McNamee from an interview he gave to private investigators for Hardin shortly before the Mitchell report was released, said that Novitzky went on a tirade and threw a piece of paper at McNamee and that Parrella said he had one last chance to avoid jail.

“After this exchange, and for the first time in his life, McNamee stated that he had injected Clemens with steroids in 1998, 2000 and 2001,” the suit says.

Mitchell on Monday night released a statement defending his methods. He said he asked most of the questions during his first interview with McNamee after federal law enforcement officials, who were also present, reminded McNamee that he faced prosecution if he made any false statements. “There was no ‘Cold War era’ reading of McNamee’s prior statements by any federal official, as alleged,” Mitchell wrote.

McNamee’s lead lawyer, Earl Ward, said Monday that McNamee, in talking to Hardin’s investigators, had exaggerated the pressure he was under from federal officials “because he wanted to continue to stay in the good graces of Roger.”

“He lied to them,” Ward said of McNamee’s statements to Hardin’s investigators. He said he was present when the federal officials told McNamee “you’ve got to give us everything.”

“There were no angry words,” Ward said. “It was spoken in a perfectly normal manner.”

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It is remarkable that McNamee's lawyer would admit that his client lied to Clemens's investigators “because he wanted to continue to stay in the good graces of Roger.” That admission will probably be very costly. Clemens's lawyer is very good. He will not have any trouble asking the question of whose good graces McNamee is trying to stay in with his current testimony. McNamee has admitted that he will say anything if he thinks it helps his interest.

In the tape conversation, with Clemens some got the impression McNamee would change his story again. At this point it would be a mistake to bet against Rusty Hardin and Roger Clemens.