Trump Adviser Peter Navarro Sentenced to Prison

Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro has been sentenced to four months in prison for defying a subpoena from the House January 6 Committee. Navarro was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2022 after the Justice Department received his case referral from a House vote earlier that year. The January 6 Committee suspected Navarro of withholding sensitive information related to his association with White House adviser Steve Bannon, who led efforts to delay the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

In early September, Navarro was found guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress after an extended legal battle, during which the former Trump ally sought to invoke executive privilege to avoid testifying.

Despite stating his willingness to go to prison to resolve the matter, Navarro, 74, received the guilty verdict. U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta emphasized that the term “executive privilege” does not provide immunity from legal consequences.

“I have a great deal of respect for your client and what he’s achieved professionally, I do,” Mehta remarked before sentencing. “Which makes it all the more disappointing, the way he behaved.”

Department of Justice prosecutors argued that Navarro prioritized loyalty to former President Donald Trump over the rule of law. In their sentencing memo, they asserted that by rejecting the Committee’s subpoena and authority, Navarro exacerbated the assault on the rule of law during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. The DOJ recommended a maximum six-month sentence along with a $200,000 fine.