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contempt of Congress

American

noun

contempt of a U.S. Congressional body, as of an investigating committee, shown by a witness summoned or appearing before it.

contempt of Congress Cultural

The deliberate obstruction of the workings of the federal legislative branch. For example, a witness under subpoena who refuses to testify before Congress can be cited for contempt of Congress.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Several of his close aides – including fomer 2016 campaign chair Steve Bannon and trade adviser Peter Navarro – were prosecuted and imprisoned for contempt of Congress.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2025

District Judge Carl Nichols, appointed by former President Donald Trump, sentenced Bannon to four months behind bars after a jury convicted him on two counts of contempt of Congress.

From Salon • May 10, 2024

Shortly after their break, the jury found him guilty of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 24, 2024

On Wednesday, both the Judiciary Committee and the Oversight Committee voted to hold him in contempt of Congress.

From New York Times • Jan. 12, 2024

The ten directors and screenwriters were thrown in prison for contempt of Congress.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023