Navarro faced charges for defying a subpoena issued by the House select committee
Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro was sentenced to four months in jail for contempt of Congress amid a congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. cnn reported.
Navarro faced charges for defying a subpoena issued by the House select committee investigating the attack and was convicted on two counts in September.
Prosecutors requested a six-month sentence on each count to be served concurrently, along with a $200,000 fine. They argued that Navarro's refusal to comply with subpoenas reflected the conduct of some participants in the Capitol riot, claiming that he prioritized politics over the nation and obstructed the congressional investigation.
Navarro's decision not to cooperate with the committee was seen as aligning with the interests of former President Donald Trump.
This marks another win for the House of Representatives' disbanded Jan. 6 committee, following the conviction of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon in 2022 on similar charges. Bannon received a four-month prison sentence and his case is currently under appeal.
Navarro's trial, which concluded quickly in September, presented evidence that the committee had valid reasons for subpoenaing him and he was well informed about these lawsuits.
Prosecutors argued that Navarro had knowledge of a plan to disrupt Congress on Jan. 6, but refused to share it with the House committee.
Navarro's defense focused on his claim that he failed to comply with the subpoena at the direction of Trump, who allegedly invoked executive privilege. However, trial Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Navarro failed to show that Trump formally asserted any privilege that would exempt him from appearing before the committee.
While Navarro's lawyers seek probation for their client during the appeal, the case is expected to address crucial questions about former presidents' invocation of executive privilege for their top advisers.
The federal appeals court in D.C. is currently reviewing Bannon's appeal, questioning the lower court's handling of executive privilege claims during his case.
