United States v. Strandlof

The Stolen Valor Act makes it a crime for a person to “falsely represent ] himself or herself, verbally or in writing, to have been awarded” any congressionally authorized military decoration or medal. 18 U.S.C. § 704(b). Offenders face up to six months in prison, a penalty that doubles to one year if the false representation concerns certain medals, including the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart. See id. § 704(c), (d). On its face, the Act criminalizes the bare utterance of a false statement of fact. The majority holds that such statements— at least when…