18 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 1512 and 1515(a)(3) define misleading conduct as any action taken by a person, either intentionally or knowingly, with the aim of creating or maintaining a false impression in order to mislead or deceive another person. This is commonly used in the context of a criminal investigation, where the accused may be accused of attempting to manipulate or mislead the investigators. This law applies to any type of communication, including verbal, written, or electronic. The two main types of misleading conduct recognized under this law are obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Obstruction of justice involves any action taken by a person that is intended to impede the progress or outcome of a criminal investigation. This can include destroying evidence, withholding or fabricating information, or otherwise obstructing the legal process. Witness tampering is any action taken by a person to influence the testimony of a witness in a criminal investigation. This can include bribery, intimidation, or otherwise influencing the witness in order to alter their testimony.