 In United States v. <unk> ( 1980 ) , a prosecution under the Hobbs Act and Travel Act , the Supreme Court declined to recognize a legislative act privilege for state legislators analogous in scope to the Speech or Debate Clause , either under the Tenth Amendment or Federal Rule of Evidence 501 . <unk> argued that " recognition of an evidentiary privilege for state legislators for their legislative acts would impair the legitimate interest of the Federal Government in enforcing its criminal statutes with only speculative benefit to the state legislative process . " Similarly , the courts have consistently rejected claims by convicted state legislators that their prosecutions violate the Tenth Amendment . 
