# Senate Report 205: proceedings against William G. O'Brien (1951)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/kefauver-contempt-s-rept-82-205-obrien/

Senate Report No. 205, 82d Congress, 1st Session, on the Kefauver Committee's contempt proceedings against William G. O'Brien, who refused to answer questions. The report accompanies S. Res. 116 and annexes excerpts of the hearing record.

The printed caption is "Proceedings against William G. O'Brien for contempt of the Senate." It is Senate Report No. 205, 82d Congress, 1st Session, submitted by Senator Kefauver for the Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce, to accompany S. Res. 116, ordered printed March 30 (legislative day, March 26), 1951. It is printed in Serial Set volume 11487; the text was read from the Serial Set PDF on govinfo.

The report asks the Senate to certify the facts of William G. O'Brien's contempt of the Senate to the United States Attorney. The report states that the witness was brought before the committee under a warrant issued pursuant to S. Res. 65 on March 27, 1951, in room P-36, the Capitol, and that his refusal to answer prevented the committee from receiving testimony. It annexes excerpts of the hearing record.

A committee report asking the Senate to certify a contempt is the committee's account and request, not a court judgment. The refusals it describes are not admissions, and the outcome of the proceeding is not covered by this record. The committee's closing report, filed separately, has a section on the status of the contempt cases.

The printed hearing volume that lists this witness: [Part 12: Treasury, Justice, and miscellaneous witnesses](/items/kefauver-part-12-treasury-justice-officials-1950/).

## Sources

- GovInfo, United States Congressional Serial Set: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/SERIALSET-11487_00_00-020-0205-0000/pdf/SERIALSET-11487_00_00-020-0205-0000.pdf
- GovInfo details page for the report: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/SERIALSET-11487_00_00-020-0205-0000