Peter Navarro, former trade adviser to President Donald Trump, has been found guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the 2021 United States Capitol riots.
Navarro’s sentencing comes at a time when the former adviser faced charges act “above the law”.By ignoring a subpoena from Congress, the CNN chain is raking in money.
Navarro faces two counts of contempt, each of which carries a possible prison sentence of up to one year. These allegations stem from his failure to comply with a subpoena from a special committee of the US House of Representatives in February 2022.
According to the allegations, Navarro did not provide the requested emails or documents, nor did he appear to testify before the panel.
Navarra’s answer
Outside the courtroom Navarro promised to appeal this “historic case” to the Supreme Court “This is the first time in the history of our republic,” he said, “that a senior White House adviser, an alter ego of the President, has been indicted in this alleged crime.”
Navarro, a former senior management consultant, was charged in June 2022 and arrested by FBI agents at a Washington airport boarding a flight bound for Nashville, Tennessee.
During the short trial, prosecutors emphasized the simplicity of the case, saying it involved Navarro’s failure to produce documents and testify before the committee.
Justice Department prosecutor John Crabb described the case as involving a person who had failed to comply with the committee’s requests, stating: “In this case, it is about a man who did not produce any documents and did not appear to testify.
Defense of Peter Navarro
According to CNN, Navarro’s attorney, Stanley Woodward, claimed the evidence did not prove Navarro’s willful violation. When contacted by the committee, Navarro cited leadership privilege, a legal principle that allows certain White House communications to remain confidential.
However, Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama candidate, said ruled that there was no evidence for Navarro’s claim executive privileges that would allow him to ignore the committee’s subpoena. This ruling paved the way for charges of contempt for Navarro.
In addition to the possibility of up to a year in prison for each contempt charge, Navarro faces fines of up to $100,000.
Another prominent Trump ally, former strategist Steve Bannon, faced similar consequences when he was found guilty of two counts of contempt in July 2022 for defying the committee’s statutory subpoena.
Bannon received a four-month prison sentence but remains free while his defense team appeals the verdict.
