Tejada could face federal investigation

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Congressional officials asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate whether 2002 American League MVP Miguel Tejada lied to Congress at a steroid hearing.

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and ranking member Tom Davis, R-Va., opened a hearing Tuesday with a statement regarding the Justice Department investigation of Tejada.

Tejada, who won the AL MVP after the 2002 season and who was traded to Houston this off-season, was interviewed by the committee in 2005 when he denied knowledge of steroid use by baseball players, including former teammate Rafael Palmeiro.

However, a former teammate mentioned in the recently released baseball-commissioned report from former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, D-Maine, allegedly had sold Tejada steroids.

Also, after Palmeiro denied to the committee he had used steroids, he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

The Baltimore Sun reported that Tejada could face criminal penalties if he made "materially false" statements to committee staff members.