Courthouse Security Guards Investigated for Accepting Autographed Roger Clemens Baseballs
Up to six security guards at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., are being investigated for accepting baseballs autographed by Roger Clemens from someone associated with his defense team.
The guards received the baseballs soon after U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton declared a mistrial in the case due to prosecution references to banned evidence, the Washington Post reports. Clemens was accused of lying to Congress about taking performance enhancing drugs. His lead defense lawyer, Rusty Hardin, declined to comment to the Post.
The security guards who received the baseballs worked for Inter-Con Security Systems. “It’s not entirely clear who sent” the baseballs, the Post says, “why they were sent or whether anyone at the courthouse expected them—just that someone associated with Clemens’ defense team gave a half-dozen balls to a guard, who handed them out.”
Sources told the Post the baseballs may have been intended to thank the guards for helping usher Clemens past reporters and photographers after the mistrial was declared.
Inter-Con Security is conducting the probe and will report on its findings. The guards could be fired or face other penalties for accepting the gifts.
