IRS Widens Clemens's Investigation

New York Times:

Internal Revenue Service agents have contacted a former employee of a fitness center here as part of an effort to determine whether Roger Clemens obtained steroids or human growth hormone in the Houston area, where he lives, the former employee said. ...

The former employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in an interview Wednesday that the federal agents asked about the operation of Shaun Kelley Weight Control, as well as whether Clemens knew the center's owner, Shaun K. Kelley. ...

Kelley described Clemens as "an acquaintance," and at first said he had met him only once, but later said he met him "a couple" of times.

Kelley denied in several interviews that he was involved with performance-enhancing drugs. But he has advertised human growth hormone on his Web site, and in 2005, his e-mail address appeared in an online inquiry about purchasing the hormone from a Chinese company. ...

Clemens visited Kelley's center in the past few years, according to the former employee who spoke to I.R.S. agents. Clemens arrived at the center, explained that he was a friend of Kelley and waited while Kelley finished speaking to a client. Clemens then entered Kelley's office and stayed for about 20 minutes, the former employee said.

Kelley said: "I have never seen Clemens in my store, ever. This is all totally false." ...

Shaun Eckhardt, who worked for Kelley as a trainer for six months before quitting recently, said Kelley, in speaking of Clemens, "would always say they were good friends." Other former employees who confirmed that Kelley often brought up Clemens's name included Graham Burket, who worked as Kelley's general manager for about three months, and Damon Lenahan, a nutritionist who worked for Kelley for about three months last year.

Clemens lives about three miles from the fitness center.

Clemens's lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said any questions about a possible relationship between his client and Kelley were "despicable" and accused reporters of being part of "witch hunt".

Based on Hardin's past statements and how events progressed, I expect he will, in the next day or so, be admitting that of course the two men were best friends.