No Immunity for Congressional Witnesses
AP NewsBreak: McGwire to attend hearing; no immunity for witnesses
By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
March 16, 2005
NEW YORK (AP) -- Mark McGwire plans to comply with a subpoena and attend Thursday's congressional hearing into steroid use in baseball, The Associated Press has learned.
McGwire's decision, revealed Wednesday by a representative of the former Oakland and St. Louis slugger who spoke on condition of anonymity, made it likely all six subpoenaed players would attend the session on Capitol Hill.
Less than 24 hours before the start of the highly anticipated hearing, Jose Canseco's request for immunity was denied by the House Government Reform committee. Canseco's lawyer said the former AL MVP will not be able to answer questions that would incriminate him.
``No witnesses have been or will be granted immunity,'' David Marin, a spokesman for committee chairman Rep. Tom Davis, said in an e-mail to the AP.
Canseco's lawyer, Robert Saunooke, was angry with the decision.
``It begs the question as to what they're convening this hearing for,'' Saunooke said in a telephone interview. ``They effectively cut the legs off from underneath us.''
Saunooke has said that without immunity, Canseco would invoke his Fifth Amendment right to refuse to answer questions.
``They told me we can't do the Fifth to every question,'' he said. ``It's an absolute right of every citizen to not be compelled to give testimony against themselves. They do not make the decision. We do.''
As an example of how immunity would limit Canseco, Saunooke brought up McGwire's repeated denials of steroid use.
``If he still holds to that lie, then the only way we can disprove that is to give specific instances and talk openly and freely,'' Saunooke said. ``If we can't do that, then our credibility is undermined.''
Boston pitcher Curt Schilling said he will comply with the subpoena, and Chicago White Sox trainer Herm Schneider said that Frank Thomas left Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, would stop at his home in Las Vegas, then would travel to Washington. Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro were given off days Wednesday and Thursday by the Baltimore Orioles, a sign they would testify.
New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi, who also was subpoenaed last week, was excused Tuesday from testifying because of his involvement in the ongoing federal investigation into illegal steroid distribution.
``I would have done whatever they would have asked me to do and go from there,'' Giambi said Wednesday at the Yankees' training camp in Tampa, Fla. ``They gave me an opportunity to focus on baseball so I appreciate that.''
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, union head Donald Fehr, baseball executive vice presidents Rob Manfred and Sandy Alderson and San Diego general manager Kevin Towers also will testify.
President Bush, the former Texas Rangers owner, refused to say whether the decision to subpoena players was an abuse of congressional power.
``I'm wise enough not to second-guess the intentions of the United States Congress,'' he said. ``I do appreciate the public concern about the use of steroids in sport, whether it be baseball or anywhere else, because I understand that when a professional athlete uses steroids, it sends terrible signals to youngsters.''
Canseco, whose recent book accused several baseball stars of using steroids, submitted an opening statement to the committee in which he said ``I did not know that my revelations would reverberate in the halls of this chamber and in the hearts of so many.'' Canseco's statement was first reported on the Web site of The (Baltimore) Sun, then obtained by the AP.
``I had hoped that what I experienced firsthand, when revealed, would give insight into a darker side of a game that I loved,'' he said, ``that maybe it would force baseball to acknowledge it condoned this activity for the sole purpose of increasing revenue at the gate. Unfortunately, by our presence here today, it is clear that MLB is not interested in admitting the truth.''
Canseco said he had endured criticism because of Major League Baseball.
``All of these attacks have been spurred on by an organization that holds itself above the law, an organization that chose to exploit its players for the increased revenue that lines its pockets and then sacrifice those same players to protect the web of secrecy that was hidden for so many years.''
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AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich in Washington, David Ginsburg in Baltimore and Howard Ulman in Fort Myers, Fla., contributed to this report
AP NewsBreak: McGwire to attend hearing; no immunity for witnesses
By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
March 16, 2005
NEW YORK (AP) -- Mark McGwire plans to comply with a subpoena and attend Thursday's congressional hearing into steroid use in baseball, The Associated Press has learned.
McGwire's decision, revealed Wednesday by a representative of the former Oakland and St. Louis slugger who spoke on condition of anonymity, made it likely all six subpoenaed players would attend the session on Capitol Hill.
Less than 24 hours before the start of the highly anticipated hearing, Jose Canseco's request for immunity was denied by the House Government Reform committee. Canseco's lawyer said the former AL MVP will not be able to answer questions that would incriminate him.
``No witnesses have been or will be granted immunity,'' David Marin, a spokesman for committee chairman Rep. Tom Davis, said in an e-mail to the AP.
Canseco's lawyer, Robert Saunooke, was angry with the decision.
``It begs the question as to what they're convening this hearing for,'' Saunooke said in a telephone interview. ``They effectively cut the legs off from underneath us.''
Saunooke has said that without immunity, Canseco would invoke his Fifth Amendment right to refuse to answer questions.
``They told me we can't do the Fifth to every question,'' he said. ``It's an absolute right of every citizen to not be compelled to give testimony against themselves. They do not make the decision. We do.''
As an example of how immunity would limit Canseco, Saunooke brought up McGwire's repeated denials of steroid use.
``If he still holds to that lie, then the only way we can disprove that is to give specific instances and talk openly and freely,'' Saunooke said. ``If we can't do that, then our credibility is undermined.''
Boston pitcher Curt Schilling said he will comply with the subpoena, and Chicago White Sox trainer Herm Schneider said that Frank Thomas left Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, would stop at his home in Las Vegas, then would travel to Washington. Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro were given off days Wednesday and Thursday by the Baltimore Orioles, a sign they would testify.
New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi, who also was subpoenaed last week, was excused Tuesday from testifying because of his involvement in the ongoing federal investigation into illegal steroid distribution.
``I would have done whatever they would have asked me to do and go from there,'' Giambi said Wednesday at the Yankees' training camp in Tampa, Fla. ``They gave me an opportunity to focus on baseball so I appreciate that.''
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, union head Donald Fehr, baseball executive vice presidents Rob Manfred and Sandy Alderson and San Diego general manager Kevin Towers also will testify.
President Bush, the former Texas Rangers owner, refused to say whether the decision to subpoena players was an abuse of congressional power.
``I'm wise enough not to second-guess the intentions of the United States Congress,'' he said. ``I do appreciate the public concern about the use of steroids in sport, whether it be baseball or anywhere else, because I understand that when a professional athlete uses steroids, it sends terrible signals to youngsters.''
Canseco, whose recent book accused several baseball stars of using steroids, submitted an opening statement to the committee in which he said ``I did not know that my revelations would reverberate in the halls of this chamber and in the hearts of so many.'' Canseco's statement was first reported on the Web site of The (Baltimore) Sun, then obtained by the AP.
``I had hoped that what I experienced firsthand, when revealed, would give insight into a darker side of a game that I loved,'' he said, ``that maybe it would force baseball to acknowledge it condoned this activity for the sole purpose of increasing revenue at the gate. Unfortunately, by our presence here today, it is clear that MLB is not interested in admitting the truth.''
Canseco said he had endured criticism because of Major League Baseball.
``All of these attacks have been spurred on by an organization that holds itself above the law, an organization that chose to exploit its players for the increased revenue that lines its pockets and then sacrifice those same players to protect the web of secrecy that was hidden for so many years.''
-- -- =
AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich in Washington, David Ginsburg in Baltimore and Howard Ulman in Fort Myers, Fla., contributed to this report
