In his opening remarks Monday, in what is expected to be a lengthy trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Durham returned repeatedly to the image of Mr. Clemens caught up in a web of his own weaving, citing the famous poem by Sir Walter Scott.
In early 2008, former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey named a special prosecutor, John Durham, to investigate the destruction of the videos after it came to light at the end of 2007.