▁ 1 8 0 0 . ▁Nathan iel ▁R oun s av ell , ▁another ▁newspaper ▁editor , ▁for ▁re le asing ▁sensitive ▁information ▁to ▁the ▁press ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁Anderson ▁v . ▁D unn ▁( 1 8 2 1 ), ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁held ▁that ▁Congress ' ▁power ▁to ▁hold ▁someone ▁in ▁cont empt ▁was ▁essential ▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁Congress ▁was ▁"... ▁not ▁exposed ▁to ▁every ▁ind ign ity ▁and ▁inter ruption ▁that ▁rud eness , ▁cap rice , ▁or ▁even ▁consp i racy , ▁may ▁medi ate ▁against ▁it ." ▁The ▁historical ▁interpretation ▁that ▁b ri ber y ▁of ▁a ▁sen ator ▁or ▁representative ▁was ▁considered ▁cont empt ▁of ▁Congress ▁has ▁long ▁since ▁been ▁abandoned ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁criminal ▁stat utes . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁Congress ▁en act ed ▁a ▁law ▁that ▁made ▁" cont empt ▁of ▁Congress " ▁a ▁criminal ▁off ense ▁against ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Air ▁Mail ▁Sc andal ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁William ▁Mac C ra cken , ▁former ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Com merce ▁for ▁Aer onaut ics , ▁was ▁sent enced ▁to ▁ten ▁days ▁of ▁det ention ▁for ▁destroy ing ▁evidence ▁under ▁sub po ena . ▁Mac C ra cken ▁appe aled ▁his ▁sentence ▁to ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁in ▁Jur ney ▁v . ▁Mac C ra cken . ▁After ▁losing ▁his ▁case ▁he ▁surrender ed ▁to ▁Ch else y ▁Jur ney , ▁Senate ▁sar ge ant