McNamee admits initially lying about steroids

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brian McNamee, the chief prosecution witness in the Roger Clemens perjury trial, conceded he initially lied about his involvement with steroids.

Clemens lawyer Rusty Hardin said to McNamee, "It was a lie wasn't it?" McNamee said yes.

McNamee said he lied both out of self-preservation and to assure Clemens "I had his back."

Hardin highlighted an email that McNamee sent to Jim Murray, an employee of the agency that represents Clemens, in January 2007. In that email, McNamee complained about "gross inaccuracies" in a newspaper story that identified him as a steroids distributor.

Clemens himself is on trial for allegedly lying to Congress in 2008 when he denied using steroids or human growth hormone. McNamee testified he injected the former pitcher multiples times in 1998, 2000 and 2001.