of perjury it must be proven by more than one witness , or one witness plus corroborative evidence . False statement prohibition is set forth in Title 18 of the U.S. Code , section 1001 : “ Whoever , in any matter within the jurisdiction of the … legislative … branch of the Government of the United States , knowingly and willfully ( 1 ) falsifies , conceals , or covers up by any trick , scheme , or device a material fact ; [ or ] ( 2 ) makes any materially false , fictitious , or fraudulent statement or representation … shall be fined [ and/or ] imprisoned not more than 5 years . ” While this statute has been subject to much criticism , its broad language has been much used . It applies to all statements , written and oral , sworn and unsworn , voluntarily given or required by law .
He could not mention any details about it even if they were already publicly known through the Risen book . No evidence was ever produced in court demonstrating that any classified information ever passed between the two men , but Sterling , an African American , was nevertheless convicted by an all - white jury in Virginia based on “ suspicion ” and the presumption that “ it had to be him . ” The contrast between the copious evidence – some of it self - admitted – of Secretary Clinton ’s demonstrable infractions , on the one hand , and the very sketchy , circumstantial evidence used to convictjustice.judicialconsequences.convictand imprison Jeffrey Sterling , on the other , lend weight to the suspicion that there is one law for the rich and powerful in the United States and another for the rest of us . Failing to take steps against a politically powerful presidential candidate and letting her off unscathed for crimes of her own making , while an institutionally unprotected Jeffrey Sterling sits in prison would be a travesty of justice not dissimilar to the gentle wrist - slap given Gen. David Petraeus for giving his mistress extremely sensitive information and then lying to the FBI about it . Your order to then - Attorney General Eric Holder to let Gen. David Petraeus off easy created a noxious – and demoralizing – precedent in the national security community indicating that , whatever the pains taken at lower levels to prevent compromise of duly classified information , top officials are almost never held accountable for disregarding well - established rules .