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Tejada charged with lying to Congress, will plead guilty


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More detailed version from ESPN:

According to The Washington Post, federal prosecutors are alleging Tejada made misrepresentations to Congressional staffers during an interview focusing on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

 

The charge came in "a criminal information," a document that can only be filed with the defendant's consent and usually signals a plea is imminent, according to the report.

 

Tejada is scheduled to appear at 11 a.m. Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, court officials said, according to the Post.

 

Prosecutors did not charge Tejada with lying about allegations concerning his own steroid use, the newspaper reported. Instead, they alleged he gave false statements to Congressional staffers about his conversations with another player about steroids and human growth hormone.

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QUOTE (longshot7 @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 10:11 AM)
Obviously lying to congress is a big deal especially if you're under oath, but how is lying to investigators (assuming you're not under oath) a crime? This doesn't make sense to me.

 

what kind of question is that? a crime is a crime. its a law. they don't always make sense, although this one does to me.

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QUOTE (longshot7 @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 08:11 AM)
Obviously lying to congress is a big deal especially if you're under oath, but how is lying to investigators (assuming you're not under oath) a crime? This doesn't make sense to me.

Scenario. Bank robber runs past you carrying sacks of cash. You clearly see which way he's going. 30 seconds later some police officers run up and ask "Which way did he go?" You deliberately point in the wrong direction. You're not under oath at the time.

 

Crime?

 

I'm sure that getting out of the charges of lying to Congress, charges that might have gotten him deported, was a big part of Tejada's motivation for taking the plea deal. He should probably be considered to be copping a plea to some form of obstruction of justice I think.

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QUOTE (longshot7 @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 10:11 AM)
Obviously lying to congress is a big deal especially if you're under oath, but how is lying to investigators (assuming you're not under oath) a crime? This doesn't make sense to me.

 

Man you really like to split hairs on what a law is or is not

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QUOTE (longshot7 @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 11:11 AM)
Obviously lying to congress is a big deal especially if you're under oath, but how is lying to investigators (assuming you're not under oath) a crime? This doesn't make sense to me.

 

Impeding an investigation. Federally it is a crime, under state law, it may not be.

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QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 08:35 AM)
what kind of question is that? a crime is a crime. its a law. they don't always make sense, although this one does to me.

 

I think you misunderstand me. Lying is not a crime in and of itself. G&T makes a good point though - obstructing justice is a crime. It doesn't seem fair however, especially if you're trying to cover for a friend.

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QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 10, 2009 -> 12:07 PM)
Must be a slap on the wrist (imo).

 

Also I wonder if leaving the Orioles made it so Tejada no longer had Angelos law firm in his corner.

 

Cause I swear when Palmeiro was being investigated Angelos made it clear that he would protect Raffy.

I'm pretty sure that the Angelos/Palmeiro thing was brought up after Palmeiro was accused by Canseco, but before he tested positive. I think Palmeiro said he would fight the accusation. Then he wagged his finger at Congress. Then he peed.

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QUOTE (longshot7 @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 01:48 PM)
I think you misunderstand me. Lying is not a crime in and of itself. G&T makes a good point though - obstructing justice is a crime. It doesn't seem fair however, especially if you're trying to cover for a friend.

 

It's the law. If I cover for a friend and end up getting jail time because of it, it would suck. But, I wouldn't start crying that it's not fair because that is simply the law.

 

Are you an anarchist?

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QUOTE (longshot7 @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 12:48 PM)
I think you misunderstand me. Lying is not a crime in and of itself. G&T makes a good point though - obstructing justice is a crime. It doesn't seem fair however, especially if you're trying to cover for a friend.

 

That's exactly why its the law. You're not allowed to lie to cover up criminal activities. The reasoning behind that seems pretty self-evident.

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QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 03:59 PM)
It's the law. If I cover for a friend and end up getting jail time because of it, it would suck. But, I wouldn't start crying that it's not fair because that is simply the law.

 

Are you an anarchist?

 

I don't think it's quite that simple. If you knowingly lie with the intent to protect someone, it could be aiding and abetting or impeding an investigation (or whatever it's called). If you are an eyewitness to a robbery and tell the police you saw nothing because you don't want to get involved, it's not a crime (I don't think).

 

In baseball, if a player who was not using tells an investigator that he knows nothing about steroid use even though he knows every user, should that be a crime? Under federal law, likely yes. In some states maybe not (according to my friend - a law student so TIFWIW - at the DA , New York does not recognize a crime for lying to the police but I've done no research on it).

 

Here, it is clear that Tejada was knowingly lying so these issues don't come up.

Edited by G&T
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