18 U.S.C. § 1505 - Obstruction of proceedings before departments, agencies, and committees

• Cite as: 18 U.S.C. § 1505

Whoever, with intent to avoid, evade, prevent, or obstruct compliance, in whole or in part, with any civil investigative demand duly and properly made under the Antitrust Civil Process Act, willfully withholds, misrepresents, removes from any place, conceals, covers up, destroys, mutilates, alters, or by other means falsifies any documentary material, answers to written interrogatories, or oral testimony, which is the subject of such demand; or attempts to do so or solicits another to do so; or

Whoever corruptly, or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication influences, obstructs, or impedes or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede the due and proper administration of the law under which any pending proceeding is being had before any department or agency of the United States, or the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which any inquiry or investigation is being had by either House, or any committee of either House or any joint committee of the Congress-

Shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years or, if the offense involves international or domestic terrorism (as defined in section 2331), imprisoned not more than 8 years, or both.

Cite as 18 U.S.C. § 1505

Source: June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 770; Pub. L. 87-664, §6(a), Sept. 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 551; Pub. L. 91-452, title IX, §903, Oct. 15, 1970, 84 Stat. 947; Pub. L. 94-435, title I, §105, Sept. 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 1389; Pub. L. 97-291, §4(d), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1253; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 108-458, title VI, §6703(a), Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3766.

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 5/22/2023

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §241a, (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §135a, as added Jan. 13, 1940, ch. 1, 54 Stat. 13; June 8, 1945, ch. 178, §2, 59 Stat. 234).

Word "agency" was substituted for the words "independent establishment, board, commission" in two instances to eliminate any possible ambiguity as to scope of section. (See definitive section 6 of this title.)

Minor changes were made in phraseology.

EDITORIAL NOTES

REFERENCES IN TEXT

The Antitrust Civil Process Act, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 87-664, Sept. 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 548, which is classified principally to chapter 34 (§1311 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1311 of Title 15 and Tables.