In this case, the court considered this issue: Does the prohibition in 18 U-S-C § 1014 on making a “false statement” for the purposes of influencing certain financial institutions and federal agencies include making statements that are misleading but not false?
The case was decided on March 21, 2025.
In Thompson v United States, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that 18 U-S-C § 1014, which criminalizes knowingly making "any false statement" to influence financial institutions, applies exclusively to statements that are factually untrue, not merely misleading. Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the Court, emphasized that the statute's use of "false" indicates a focus on statements that are "not true." The Court highlighted that while some misleading statements may also be false, the statute does not encompass all misleading statements. Consequently, the Court vacated Thompson's conviction and remanded the case for further proceedings.
The opinion is presented here in its entirety, but with citations omitted. If you appreciate this episode, please subscribe. Thank you.
