Peter Navarro, an advisor to Donald Trump, faced the verdict of four months in federal prison earlier this year due to his defiance of the Jan. 6 committee. Despite his efforts to delay the sentence, a panel of federal appeals court judges denied his request, compelling him to commence his prison term in Miami next week.
The decision rendered by three federal appeals court judges asserted that Navarro’s appeal lacked substantial grounds likely to alter the verdict or lead to a different sentencing outcome. Consequently, Navarro’s attempt to postpone his sentence was rejected. His legal team had previously hinted at the possibility of appealing to the Supreme Court.
As stipulated in the court filing, Navarro is mandated to surrender himself to federal prison in Miami by 2 p.m. on March 19. His involvement in Trump’s endeavors to challenge the outcome of the 2020 presidential election led to his subpoena by the Jan. 6 committee in February 2022.
Peter Navarro (Credits: NY1)
However, Navarro refused to cooperate, neither providing testimony nor the requested documents. The committee concluded its inquiry and issued its report in December 2022, preceding the Republican takeover of the House in January 2023.
Federal prosecutors, in anticipation of his sentencing, highlighted Navarro’s prioritization of political interests over national welfare, likening his actions to those of the Capitol rioters. They emphasized his defiance of Congress’s investigative efforts and accused him of favoring allegiance to Trump over adherence to the law.
During the sentencing in January, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rebuffed any notion of Navarro being a victim or a target of political persecution, affirming that Navarro had received due process. The recent ruling denying Navarro’s request was issued by Circuit Judges Patricia Millett, Robert Wilkins, and Cornelia Pillard of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Stanley Woodward, Navarro’s legal representative, refrained from commenting on the ruling when contacted.
