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25 QLR 547 (2006-2007)
The Perjury Paradox: The Amazing Under-Enforcement of the Laws regarding Lying to Congress

handle is hein.journals/qlr25 and id is 555 raw text is: THE PERJURY PARADOX: THE AMAZING UNDER-ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS REGARDING LYING TO CONGRESS Lying to Congress is one of Washington's more enduring traditions. P.J. Meitl* In March 2005, Baltimore Oriole first baseman Rafael Palmeiro fervently stated under oath before a congressional committee that I have never used steroids. Period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that, punctuating his comments with a marked point of his finger and an air of indignation.' Palmeiro seemed genuinely innocent, impressing members of Congress with his performance. Committee Member Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) stated that Mr. Palmeiro's testimony was the most passionate and convincing of those players who testified 2 before the Committee. In fact, Palmeiro even made a believer of the President of the United States who stated He testified in public and I believe him.3 Nearly five months later, Palmeiro was suspended for ten days for using steroids. While he did not deny testing positive for the drugs, Palmeiro insisted that ingesting them was an accident, a claim that experts said was unlikely.4 To most, it seemed clear that Palmeiro had blatantly lied to Congress. Citing a lack of sufficient evidence, the House Committee responsible for the hearing declined to recommend * PJ Meitl is an associate at Bryan Cave LLP. Mr. Meitl graduated from Georgetown University with a JD/MBA and was the Editor-in-Chief of the American Criminal Law Review, a publication known for its focus on white-collar crime. Mr. Meitl previously worked for two different members of Congress and interned in the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia in the Fraud and Public Corruption Section. 1. Bob Dart, Congress Takes Swing at Steroids; Baseball Stars Grilled in Packed Hearing on Capitol Hill, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, Mar. 18, 2005, at 1A. 2. Jorge Arangure Jr., Palmeiro Suspended for Steroid Violation; Orioles Star Denied Use Before Congress, WASH. POST, Aug. 2, 2005, at AO1. 3. Supplement or Snake Oil?, L.A. TIMES, Aug. 6, 2005, at B 18. 4. Associated Press, Palmeiro Offered Few Answers During Hearing, Sources Claim, USA TODAY, Aug. 19, 2005, at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2005-08-19- palmeiro-panel x.htm.

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