Former Trump Official Peter Navarro Faces Sentencing for Contempt of Congress

Peter Navarro, a former senior official in the Trump White House responsible for trade policy, is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday for two counts of contempt of Congress. The charges stem from his refusal to comply with a subpoena related to his actions following the 2020 presidential election.

Navarro's Contempt Charges

In 2022, Navarro defied a congressional subpoena from the now-defunct House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. A federal jury in Washington, D.C., convicted Navarro after a brief trial in September 2023. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta will announce the sentence at a hearing in federal court in Washington at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Prosecutors have recommended a six-month prison sentence and a $600,000 fine.

Subpoena and Refusal

Congressional investigators were keen on Navarro's efforts to devise a plan to delay the certification of the 2020 election results from his position in the Trump White House. The Jan. 6 committee issued a subpoena seeking records and testimony, citing Navarro's potential relevance to the investigation. Despite the committee's request, Navarro refused to comply, citing former President Donald Trump's executive privilege over the materials sought by the committee. The House, under Democratic control, voted to hold him in contempt and referred the matter to the Justice Department for prosecution.

Trial and Defense Arguments

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Navarro "acted like he was above the law" by not adhering to the committee's request. Navarro's attorneys tried to persuade Judge Mehta to allow Navarro to argue that Trump instructed him to assert executive privilege, but the judge rejected this defense. Navarro did not testify in his defense.

Sentencing and Appeal

Navarro's defense team plans to appeal the conviction based on Mehta's ruling. If a sentence is imposed on Thursday, it is likely to be delayed as the appeals process progresses. In their pre-sentencing memo, prosecutors accused Navarro of "choosing allegiance to former President Donald Trump over the rule of law" and urged the court to hold him accountable for his unresponsiveness.

Comparison to Steve Bannon's Case

Navarro is the second Trump ally to be convicted of defying a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee. Steve Bannon was found guilty in 2022 and sentenced to four months in prison, which was suspended pending his appeal. Navarro's legal team argued that his case differed from Bannon's, emphasizing that Bannon's congressional requests mostly pertained to his post-Trump White House work.

The sentencing of Peter Navarro will be an important development in the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol attack and will shed light on the consequences for individuals who defy congressional subpoenas.