1512)

Section 1512 applies to the obstruction of federal proceedings—congressional, judicial, or executive. Prosecution requires the commission of an underlying federal crime by someone else. It also prohibits economic retaliation against a federal witnesses, but only witnesses in court proceedings and only on criminal cases. Its penalty structure is comparable to that of Section 1503. Obstructing Congressional or Administrative Proceedings (18 U.S.C. The statutory contempt of Congress provision, 2 U.S.C. Obstruction of Justice by Violence or Threat

Several other federal statutes outlaw use of threats or violence to obstruct federal government activities. Obstruction of Justice by Destruction of Evidence

Other than subsection 1512(c), there are three federal statutes which expressly outlaw the destruction of evidence in order to obstruct justice: 18 U.S.C. Obstruction of Justice by Deception

In addition to the obstruction of justice provisions of 18 U.S.C. §3C1.1)

Regardless of the offense for which an individual is convicted, his sentence may be enhanced as a consequence of any obstruction of justice for which he is responsible, if committed during the course of the investigation, prosecution, or sentencing for the offense of his conviction. The enhancement may result in an increase in his term of imprisonment by as much as four years.
Obstruction of justice is the frustration of governmental purposes by violence, corruption, destruction of evidence, or deceit. It is a federal crime. In fact, it is several crimes. Obstruction prosecutions regularly involve charges under several statutory provisions. Federal obstruction of justice laws are legion; too many for even passing reference to all of them in a single report.
The general obstruction of justice provisions are six: 18 U.S.C. 1512 (tampering with federal witnesses), 1513 (retaliating against federal witnesses), 1503 (obstruction of pending federal court proceedings), 1505 (obstruction of pending congressional or federal administrative proceedings), 371 (conspiracy), and contempt. Other than Section 1503, each prohibits obstruction of certain congressional activities. In addition to these, there are a host of other statutes that penalize obstruction by violence, corruption, destruction of evidence, or deceit.
Moreover, regardless of the offense for which an individual is convicted, his sentence may be enhanced as a consequence of any obstruction of justice for which he is responsible, if committed during the course of the investigation, prosecution, or sentencing for the offense of his conviction. The enhancement may result in an increase in his term of imprisonment by as much as four years.
This is an abridged version of CRS Report RL34304, Obstruction of Congress: a Brief Overview of Federal Law Relating to Interference with Congressional Activities, by [author name scrubbed], without the footnotes, quotations, or citations to authority found in the longer report.