Sources: Bonds may be subject of perjury probe

[bigboydan]

i doubt they get him for perjury.

any books going to have odds on this one

Federal prosecutors may be pursuing a perjury case against San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, stemming from his denials of steroid use during a federal grand jury appearance in 2003, multiple sources have told CNN.

For more than a month, a different federal grand jury has been hearing evidence about whether Bonds may have lied during his testimony on December 4, 2003, the sources told CNN.

The U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco would neither confirm nor deny that a grand jury has been hearing testimony about Bonds.

Bonds' lawyers were unaware that a grand jury had been convened, said Harry Stern, a spokesman for his legal team.

Bonds, who now ranks third in career home runs, has steadfastly maintained he never knowingly used steroids. He was one of several prominent athletes called to testify as part of an investigation into BALCO, a San Francisco Bay Area laboratory accused of distributing steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

At the time, Bonds and the other athletes were given immunity by federal prosecutors, provided they told the truth on the stand.

Bonds' attorney, Mike Raines, has previously accused prosecutors of trying to set Bonds up for a perjury charge by offering him immunity to get him in front of the grand jury, then later challenging his testimony.

BALCO's founder, Victor Conte, spent four months in jail after pleading guilty to distributing illegal steroids. Greg Anderson, a long-time friend of Bonds, was sentenced to three months in jail on the same charges.

Bonds' denials came under renewed scrutiny in March with the release of the book "Game of Shadows" by San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams.

The book alleges Bonds used steroids and other performance enhancing drugs for at least five seasons, starting in 1998, and that Anderson -- his personal trainer -- helped him obtain the drugs.

Bonds has sued the authors to try to block them from making any money on the book, which his attorneys say was based on illegally obtained grand jury transcripts.

In the wake of the controversy over "Game of Shadows," Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig appointed George Mitchell, a former U.S. Senate majority leader and federal judge, to investigate steroid use in baseball.

[The Great One]

Let it go. He juiced, so did I. So has everyone that has competed in sports that is any good. Nothing wrong with it at all

Maris, Ruth, and Cobb didn't work out and didn't take steroids but it doesn't matter because they were only good compared to the players from their age. They take the same talent they have to todays age, they barely make a high school team.

Barry and everyone else should feel free to run cycles anytime they want. I said it therefor it shall come to pass.

maybe if Selig actually went to the gym once in his life, he might know what it is to actually look like a man and not a faggot. Same goes for all the bald fatasses on Capitol Hill.

[pags11]

exactly great one...

[Ganchrow]

maybe if Selig actually went to the gym once in his life, he might know what it is to actually look like a man and not a faggot.

Yeah, we all know that gay guys hate working out ...

[pags11]

ganchrow,

only four months and some change until we make some cash together in college football...

[bigboydan]

another Conte has to testify before Bonds' grand jury

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The head athletic trainer for the San Francisco Giants was told to appear before a federal grand jury investigating whether Barry Bonds lied about his connection to the BALCO steroids scandal, a newspaper reported.

Stan Conte, who is not related to Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative owner Victor Conte, was subpoenaed to appear in a San Francisco federal courtroom April 27, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday, citing three anonymous sources familiar with the investigation.

Conte is scheduled to appear before the grand jury on the same day as Bonds' orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Arthur Ting. The grand jury subpoenaed Ting's medical records related to Bonds a year ago, the Chronicle reported.

The panel has been hearing testimony for more than a month about whether the outfielder lied to a separate grand jury in December 2003 about his connection to BALCO.

Bonds addressed the latest probe publicly for the first time Tuesday on his television show, "Bonds on Bonds."


"I knew I was still being investigated, but I didn't know that was particularly coming," he said.

Bonds added that he would not repeat what he told the BALCO grand jury more than two years ago, saying he still stands by those comments.

"I said what I said in the grand jury testimony," he said. "That's what I stated and that's what I will live by for the rest of my life."

Bonds was one of a string of elite athletes called as witnesses in the steroids conspiracy case. They were granted partial immunity, protected from prosecution as long as they testified truthfully.

According to excerpts of the testimony previously reported by the Chronicle, Bonds testified that he used a clear substance and a cream given to him by a trainer who later pleaded guilty in a steroid-distribution ring, but said he didn't know they were steroids.

Bonds said Greg Anderson, his personal trainer, told him the substances he used were the nutritional supplement flaxseed oil and a rubbing balm for arthritis.

The substances Bonds described were similar to ones known as "the clear" and "the cream," two steroids at the center of the BALCO scandal.

Investigators seized calendars that recorded schedules for Bonds' use of those drugs, as well as human growth hormone, clomid, insulin and other steroids and prosecutors believe those documents contradict Bonds' testimony, the Chronicle reported.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office refused to comment Tuesday.

Conte is in his 15th season with the team and seventh as its head trainer. His subpoena represents the first time a Giants employee other than a player has been called to testify in connection with the government probe.

Conte said "the Giants policy is not to comment on direct or indirect questions about the grand jury." A message left for Larry Baer, executive vice president for the Giants, was not immediately returned nor were messages left for Conte's lawyer.

[Mudcat]

My first reaction on hearing of these perjury charges was that nothing would come of them. I don't even know why I thought that. I just couldn't envision Barry Bonds getting convicted for some reason.

But after hearing some calm, non-sensational discussion yesterday in which a lawyer and a couple of media guys I respect broke it down, I think there is a better than 50-50 chance he will be convicted. I think the odds of him doing jail time are less than that but I wouldn't rule it out.

Think whatever you want about steroids, perjury is a very serious crime. You can't just go lying to Grand Juries (or any juries). I think Bonds got arrogant and failed to realize that. If he was smart, he would have listened to his lawyers and just taken the 5th, but instead he got cocky and started blabbing a bunch of lies.

From what I can see he could and should be convicted.