US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

18 U.S.C. § 1516

Obstruction of Federal audit

(a)
Whoever, with intent to deceive or defraud the United States, endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede a Federal auditor in the performance of official duties relating to a person, entity, or program receiving in excess of $100,000, directly or indirectly, from the United States in any 1 year period under a contract or subcontract, grant, or cooperative agreement, or relating to any property that is security for a mortgage note that is insured, guaranteed, acquired, or held by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to any Act administered by the Secretary, or relating to any property that is security for a loan that is made or guaranteed under title V of the Housing Act of 1949, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(b)
For purposes of this section—
(1)
the term “Federal auditor” means any person employed on a full- or part-time or contractual basis to perform an audit or a quality assurance inspection for or on behalf of the United States; and
(2)
the term “in any 1 year period” has the meaning given to the term “in any one-year period” in section 666.

Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7078(a)102 Stat. 4406Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXII, § 320609108 Stat. 2120Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(43)110 Stat. 3509Pub. L. 105–65, title V, § 564111 Stat. 1420Pub. L. 106–569, title VII, § 709(b)114 Stat. 3018Pub. L. 107–273, div. A, title II, § 205(c)116 Stat. 1778(Added , , ; amended , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

act July 15, 1949, ch. 33863 Stat. 413section 1441 of Title 42The Housing Act of 1949, referred to in subsec. (a), is , . Title V of the Act is classified generally to subchapter III (§ 1471 et seq.) of chapter 8A of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Amendments

Pub. L. 107–2732002—Subsec. (a). inserted “, entity, or program” after “person” and “grant, or cooperative agreement,” after “subcontract,”.

Pub. L. 106–5692000—Subsec. (a). inserted “or relating to any property that is security for a loan that is made or guaranteed under title V of the Housing Act of 1949,” before “shall be fined under this title”.

Pub. L. 105–651997—Subsec. (a). inserted “or relating to any property that is security for a mortgage note that is insured, guaranteed, acquired, or held by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to any Act administered by the Secretary,” after “under a contract or subcontract,”.

Pub. L. 104–2941996—Subsec. (b)(1). inserted “and” after semicolon at end.

Pub. L. 103–3221994—Subsec. (b). substituted “section—” for “section”, inserted “(1)” before “the term”, substituted semicolon for the period at end, and added par. (2).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Pub. L. 104–294section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294section 13 of this titleAmendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .