Trump White House advisor Peter Navarro was convicted on contempt of Congress charges on Thursday for refusing to comply with a subpoena during the congressional investigation into the January 6 Capitol Riot.
Navarro, who served as Director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy under the Trump administration, was called upon to testify before a House Select Committee in February 2022. Navarro refused to appear and withheld requested documents, citing executive privilege (the right of the president and executive branch members to resist subpoenas related to confidential communications) as his justification.
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Prosecutors alleged that even if executive privilege had been invoked by the president—which evidence suggests did not happen—Navarro was still obligated to appear before the committee to make that case in person.
“Peter Navarro made a choice. He chose not to abide by the congressional subpoena,” prosecutor Elizabeth Aloi said. “The defendant chose allegiance to former President Donald Trump over compliance to the subpoena.”
After being indicted by a grand jury in June, he stood trial on two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress, one for failing to appear and one for refusing to provide documents.
The guilty verdict came on Thursday after a short trial, and Judge Amit Mehta scheduled the sentencing hearing for January 12.
Navarro faces up to two years in prison and fines of up to $200,000.
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