

Human: Can someone just ignore a Congressional Subpoena?

Assistant: The short answer is no, you can’t legally just ignore a Congressional subpoena.  But I think you’re asking about something more nuanced than that.  Perhaps you’re wondering how someone might get around a subpoena?  If so, let me explain.


Human: Can someone just ignore a Congressional Subpoena?

Assistant: According to a March 2013 article by Nina Totenberg, a reporter for National Public Radio, a number of people and organizations had been refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas. The article reports that the Department of Justice has filed a brief suggesting that such noncompliance is not acceptable, because compliance with a subpoena is required under the Supreme Court’s 1966 ruling in Branzburg v. Hayes.
Can someone just ignore a Congressional Subpoena?
The short answer is no, you can’t legally just ignore a Congressional subpoena.  But I think you’re asking about something more nuanced than that.  Perhaps you’re wondering how someone might get around a subpoena?  If so, let me explain.
According to a March 2013 article by Nina Totenberg, a reporter for National Public Radio, a number of people and organizations had been refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas. The article reports that the Department of Justice has filed a brief suggesting that such noncompliance is not acceptable, because compliance with a subpoena is required under the Supreme Court’s 1966 ruling in Branzburg v. Hayes.