Following my recent article that ran in the Los Angeles Chronicle on Roger Clemens' legal troubles, a noteworthy Hollywood heavyweight faces similar charges of lying to authorities.
Hollywood director John McTiernan has essentially admitted to lying to the FBI in regards to his involvement with “wiretapper to the stars” Anthony Pellicano.
McTiernan, who is well known for the “Diehard” and “Predator” movies (OK, he also brought us Last Action Hero but nobody's perfect), admitted in Los Angeles federal court to hiring the Hollywood private eye to tap a producer’s phone. The story is as strange as something out of one of his films.
McTiernan entered the plea for two counts of making false statements to authorities and one count of perjury for lying to a federal judge in 2006 while attempting to withdraw his original guilty plea. McTiernan told the court he received poor legal advice and had been drinking when he was questioned by the FBI. Ah yes, the "I was drinking at the time" defense. That ranks right up there with the Lohan "These aren't my pants" and Paris Hilton "I thought it was gum" (referring to a cocaine bag) defenses. I am aware of no jurisdiction where voluntary inebriation constitutes a valid defense for making false statements to federal authorities.
McTiernan was indicted in 2009 on charges of making false statements and perjury and now faces up to a year in prison. He is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 4.
McTiernan's buddy Pellicano was convicted in 2008 on wiretapping, racketeering and conspiracy charges and is currently serving a 15-year sentence in federal prison aka club fed. Sidenote - Pellicano went with that great time-honored mistake of self-representation serving as his own lawyer - after a lengthy nine day jury deliberation, Pellicano was found guilty on 76 of 77 counts related to racketeering.
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