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January 15, 2008

Congress asks Justice Department to investigate Miguel Tejada

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress is asking the Justice Department to investigate whether former AL MVP Miguel Tejada lied to House committee staff when he was interviewed in 2005 in connection with the Rafael Palmeiro steroids case.

House Oversight and Government Committee chairman Henry Waxman opened Tuesday's hearing into the Mitchell Report about drug use in baseball by announcing that he and ranking minority member Tom Davis were sending a letter to the Justice Department on Tuesday.

"Tejada told the committee that he never used illegal performance-enhancing drugs and that he had no knowledge of other players using or even talking about steroids," Waxman said. "Well, the Mitchell Report, however, directly contradicts key elements of Mr. Tejada's testimony."

Said Davis: "We've concluded further investigation is warranted."

When the same House panel held a hearing in March 2005, Palmeiro pointed at the panel and declared: "I have never used steroids, period." Palmeiro was suspended by baseball later that year after testing positive for a steroid.

The committee later looked into whether Palmeiro should face perjury charges, but eventually dropped the matter.

Palmeiro said his positive test must have resulted from a B-12 vitamin injection given to him by Tejada. That prompted Congress to talk to Tejada, who at the time was a Baltimore Orioles teammate of Palmeiro's. Tejada was traded to the Houston Astros on Dec. 12.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:01 AM | Permalink

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