Lawyer for Clemens accuser suggests pardon

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- If Roger Clemens is ever pursued for lying to federal officials, he could get a pardon from U.S. President George Bush, a lawyer for Clemens' accuser suggested.

The tongue-in-cheek remark was the latest accusation of partisanship after this week's congressional hearing pitting the seven-time Cy Young Award winner against the trainer who claims he injected the pitcher with performance-enhancing drugs, USA today said Friday.

"It would be a prospective pardon," Richard Emery, one of the lawyers for Clemens accuser Brian McNamee, said Thursday. "They're perfectly legal and it would be typical of the George Bush White House. We'd expect Bush to call Clemens a 'historic figure' who has done so much for this country and then let him off."

Clemens is reportedly close friend of former President George H.W. Bush -- the current president's father -- even building a horseshoe pit at his Texas home at the suggestion of the former president.

Clemens denied under oath assertions made by McNamee that the trainer injected Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs in 1998, 2000 and 2001.