Contempt of Congress Quotes
Seeger had been a member of the Communist Party and had left it in 1950. See {635866}. He was later called before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee and asked to reveal the names of others who had been members. In those days of the red scare and McCarthyism, most people asked to name names and not wanting to do so “took the 5th Amendment” and could not be legally forced to reveal the names. Seeger as a matter of principle refused to plead the 5th Amendment because he was not afraid of incriminating himself and had done nothing criminal anyway. So he, a war veteran of WWII, instead refused to answer citing his First Amendment right of freedom of association. There was no legal precedent for this, and he was indicted and convicted for Contempt of Congress. However, his conviction was overturned as unconstitutional by the U. S. Federal Appeals court. Seeger had prevailed legally. But in retaliation Seeger was blacklisted and none of the radio of TV networks or Hollywood Studios would allow him (and other blacklisted artists) to appear. See {642545} Today most Americans view what McCarthy, The Congressional Committee, the networks, and Hollywood studios had done as contemptible.
Seeger had been a member of the Communist Party and had left it in 1950. See {635866} & {635867}. He was later called before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee and asked to reveal the names of others who had been members. In those days of the red scare and McCarthyism, most people asked to name names and not wanting to do so “took the 5th Amendment” and could not be forced to. Seeger as a matter of principle refused to plead the 5th Amendment because he was not afraid of incriminating himself and had done nothing criminal anyway. So he, a veteran of WWII, instead refused to answer citing his First Amendment right of freedom of association. There was no legal precedent for this, and he was indicted and convicted for Contempt of Congress. However, his conviction was overturned by the Federal Appeals court. Seeger had prevailed. His point of not liking some of the places almost always referred to places that were overt practitioners of racial segregation where they didn’t like him any more than he liked them.
Trumbo was one of the Liberal victims of McCarthyism, the Red Scare and the Hollywood Blacklist because he refused to testify before the Congressional Committees regarding other people’s political beliefs and affiliations. He has long espoused Liberal causes and was extremely influential writing two Academy Award winning screenplays which were awarded to other screenwriters who were fronting for him as he was Blacklisted as a member of the original “Hollywood 10”. Today, convictions of that type would not stand Constitutional muster, but in those days it did. Trumbo had been a Communist for a while as he explained in {623794}.
Miller refused to answer with this statement. He was charged and convicted of contempt of Congress and sentenced to a year in jail. His conviction was overturned on appeal.
Abrams had been convicted of "withholding information from Congress" in his Congressional testimony.
Casey frequently withheld information from Congress that he was legally required to report, did things without Congressional authorization and often lied in his testimony and reports to Congress.
This clause was a throwback to the days before the separation of powers where the legislature could imprison anyone they thought contemptuous or interfering with their deliberation. Contrast this with the earlier constitution of Massachusetts which forbade the legislature from acting as a judge or prosecutor. See {616750} and {616749}. Also this was a clear invasion of freedom of the press and freedom of speech provided by the Bill of Rights. However, at the time, it was not clear that the Federal Constitution was binding on State Governments on State Matters. Modern law is still ambiguous on this general point, but not on freedom of speech and the press which is currently definitely binding on the states.
