No. 23-5572October Term 2023Decided Jun 28, 2024
Fischer v. United States
This case involves a defendant charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol breach who challenged the government's use of an obstruction statute originally enacted in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 28, 2024
- What it's about
This case involves a defendant charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol breach who challenged the government's use of an obstruction statute originally enacted in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Supreme Court ruled that the statute, which prohibits obstructing official proceedings, applies only to evidence-impairing acts like destroying documents, rather than all forms of obstructive conduct.
Question presented
Does 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c), which prohibits obstruction of congressional inquiries and investigations, include acts unrelated to investigations and evidence?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit / Decision released Jun 28, 2024
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Documents
Related cases




Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 30, 2026
- Method
- Methodology