Individuals have a broad right to refuse to testify before Congress by invoking the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, the Congressional Research Service explained last week. <\/p>\n
Even a witness who denies any criminal wrongdoing can refuse to answer questions on the basis that he might be ensnared by ambiguous circumstances. <\/p>\n
On the other hand, the scope of the Fifth Amendment privilege applies more narrowly when it comes to a congressional demand that a witness produce documents. The Supreme Court has made clear that the mere fact that the contentsof a document may be incriminating does not mean that the document is protected from disclosure under the Fifth Amendment. <\/p>\n
See The Fifth Amendment in Congressional Investigations, CRS Legal Sidebar, May 26, 2017. <\/p>\n
Other new and updated products from the Congressional Research Service include the following. <\/p>\n
Presidents FY2018 Budget Proposes Cuts in Public Health Service (PHS) Agency Funding, CRS Insight, May 24, 2017 <\/p>\n
President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection: Toward Final Disclosure of Withheld Records in October 2017, CRS Insight, May 26, 2017 <\/p>\n
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Continue reading here: Individuals have a broad right to refuse to testify before Congress by invoking the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, the Congressional Research Service explained last week. Continue reading
\nThe Fifth Amendment in Congressional Investigations - Secrecy News (blog)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"