Peter Navarro: Former Trump advisor found guilty of Contempt of Congress, two counts
On September 7, former White House advisor Peter K. Navarro, 72, was found guilty in a U.S. District Court jury of two counts of Contempt of Congress stemming from his failure to comply with a subpoena issued by the United States House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol.
Navarro served as Donald Trump’s economic and trade advisor during the 2016 presidential campaign and later joined the White House staff serving as Trump’s Assistant to the President and Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.
With right-wing provocateur Stephen K. Bannon, who was found guilty last summer of contempt of Congress, Navarro is the second high-ranking Trump official to be convicted in a criminal case related to efforts to undo President Biden’s victory at the polls. Both men are loud proponents of widely debunked claims that former president Donald Trump was denied reelection because of voter fraud in key states. ~ The Washington Post
Related, see: Steve Bannon: Former Trump strategist sentenced to four-month prison stint
According to evidence presented at his trial, on February 9, 2022, the Select Committee issued a subpoena to Navarro. The subpoena required him to appear and produce documents to the Select Committee on Feb. 23, 2022, and to appear for a deposition before the Select Committee on March 2, 2022.
Navarro refused to appear to give testimony as required by the subpoena and refused to produce documents in compliance with a subpoena.
Navarro’s excuse for not appearing for his deposition and not producing the requested documents? He said repeatedly that Trump “ordered him not to cooperate,” and claimed that he and Trump both had executive privilege.
By asserting executive privilege, he argued, the former president had granted him immunity from Congress’s demands. ~ The New York Times
In its subpoena, the Select Committee said it had reason to believe that Navarro had information relevant to its investigation. Navarro, formerly an advisor to the President on various trade and manufacturing policies, has been a private citizen since departing the White House on January 20, 2021. He was indicted on June 2, 2022.
Each count of contempt of Congress carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of up to $100,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Navarro’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2024.
For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
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(Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia)
(Cover photo, Peter Navarro outside the court house, Image credit: Twitter)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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