(LibertySociety.com) – Peter Navarro, who worked as a trade adviser during the Trump administration, was ordered to report to prison on March 19 in Miami. He was sentenced to four months in prison after being found guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the charges after Navarro refused to comply with a subpoena issued by the now-defunct January 6th Committee and for his refusal to turn over documents. Navarro cited executive privilege as his reasoning for noncompliance. Navarro paid a $9,500 fine after he was convicted, and his attorneys argued that he should not have to spend any time in jail.
Navarro’s legal team submitted a filing to the United States Court of Appeals on March 10, reiterating his request for an administrative stay. His attorneys also requested an administrative stay if the Court of Appeals denied his motion so that he could appeal to the Supreme Court. Like Navarro, Steve Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison for the same charges. However, the judge in Bannon’s case allowed him to remain free during the appeals process because he believed the conviction could be reversed or a new trial could be ordered.
Navarro’s attorneys argued in the filing that “this Court echoed the exact concerns raised by” the judge in Bannon’s case, which were related to the government precluding him from explaining his reasons for ignoring the subpoena while also attempting to convince the jury that “he had no reasons.” Notably, the DOJ declined to pursue charges for contempt of Congress against former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trump adviser Dan Scavino.
Navarro’s airport arrest by the FBI after he was charged was criticized by the Obama-appointed judge overseeing his case. He said that Navarro should have been allowed to turn himself in, noting that his alleged crime was non-violent. Navarro has defended his actions leading up to January 6, 2021, especially his report detailing the irregularities in the 2020 election and his publicly discussed plan to challenge the certification of electors in certain states.
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