Yesterday, FanHouse's Pat Lackey asked if you've ever sat down to read the paper and thought to yourself, "Did I really just read that?" He was responding to something said by Roger Clemens's attorney Rusty Hardin and it's a feeling I know well after reading something Hardin said to the New York Times on Sunday. It was part of an article discussing Jeff Novitzky's plans to attend Wednesday's congressional hearing involving Clemens, Brian McNamee and the rest of the gang. Novitzky's an IRS agent who spearheaded the federal government's investigation into BALCO's finances and, thus, became well versed in the world of performance enhancers. He also led McNamee and Kirk Radomski to George Mitchell. Since the government has deals with each of those men and could have a case to make against Clemens one day, Novitzky's presence seems like a pretty routine thing.
Unless you're Rusty Hardin. Then it's "brazen" and "unbelievable." That's not the part where I asked myself if I really just read that, though. Nor when Hardin accused him of thinking he's on "a sacred mission from God to mess up everybody's life." No, this is the part that made me sit up a little straighter in my chair.
"I can tell you this: If he ever messes with Roger, Roger will eat his lunch."Threatening the IRS has never backfired before. Hope all your deductions are on the up and up, Rusty.
It seems I wasn't the only one who noticed Hardin's boorish bravado. Representative Henry Waxman, who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (a.k.a. the guys asking the questions on Wednesday) sent a letter to Hardin chastising him for his comments. Waxman's letter informed Hardin that his comments may not have just been injudicious, that they may be construed as "an attempt to intimidate a federal law enforcement official in the performance of his official duties."
Hardin responded with regret about the eating his lunch comment. He also accused Novitzky of intimidating witnesses in advance of Wednesday's hearing and Waxman of trying to intimidate him, however. I've no idea what kind of lawyering Hardin does in the courtroom but in the court of public opinion he's a slash and burn artist of the highest order. Angry, vituperative denials of anything and everything without much to back them up but indignation. It will be interesting to see how that approach plays in front of Congress.
