Peter Navarro: Ex-Trump adviser convicted of contempt of Congress

Peter Navarro, a former Trump aide, has been found guilty of contempt of Congress for his refusal to cooperate with an inquiry into alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election outcome. Navarro faces potential imprisonment for up to a year for each of the two contempt charges. Steve Bannon, another prominent Trump ally, was convicted of contempt of Congress last year.

Navarro expressed his intention to appeal the conviction all the way to the Supreme Court, describing it as a “sad day for America.” He argued that it marked the first time in U.S. history that a senior White House adviser had faced such charges and emphasized a Department of Justice policy that, in his view, exempted senior White House advisers from compelled congressional testimony.

A jury of 12 members found Navarro guilty after a two-day trial that included four hours of deliberation. Navarro’s legal team is also seeking a mistrial, alleging that jurors encountered protesters while outside the court during their deliberations.

Navarro, who served as a senior trade adviser to former President Donald Trump, had received a subpoena from a House of Representatives select committee in February 2022 but did not comply with it, failing to provide requested documents or testimony. The committee sought to question Navarro about efforts to delay the certification of the 2020 election.

In his 2021 book, Navarro claimed to have devised a strategy to challenge the election results based on allegations of widespread voter fraud, which aimed to delay the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.

The House committee countered Navarro’s claims, arguing that they lacked evidence and had been debunked by state and local officials. Navarro was indicted in June of the same year and arrested while attempting to board a flight to Nashville.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Navarro’s loyalty to Trump led him to defy the subpoena, a decision that constituted contempt of Congress. Navarro’s lawyer, on the other hand, focused on discrediting the prosecutor’s case.

Navarro had initially cited executive privilege, a legal principle allowing the protection of certain White House communications, in response to the committee’s inquiries. However, a judge ruled that there was no evidence supporting the use of executive privilege to justify Navarro’s refusal to comply with the committee’s summons.

In addition to the potential prison time, Navarro may face fines of up to $100,000. His sentencing is scheduled for January, while Steve Bannon’s conviction for contempt of Congress remains under appeal. Some have criticized these prosecutions as politically motivated, raising concerns about the escalating nature of such cases in U.S. politics.