May 7, 2018
In Marinello v. United States, the Supreme Court rejected the government’s broad interpretation of the Omnibus Clause of the tax obstruction statute, 26 U.S.C. § 7212(a), thereby handing the white-collar defense bar an important victory. In this article, we discuss Marinello and conclude that it continues the Court’s efforts to cabin broadly-worded criminal statutes. By narrowing the scope of § 7212(a), Marinello provides defense lawyers with yet another tool to represent their clients and to push back against seemingly unbounded prosecutorial discretion.