Peter Navarro, a former official in the Trump White House, has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court in a bid to delay his impending prison sentence while he challenges his contempt of Congress conviction.
Navarro faces reporting to a federal prison next week after an appeals court determined that his appeal was unlikely to overturn his conviction. The conviction stemmed from his refusal to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Navarro has contended that he couldn’t comply with the committee’s requests because former President Donald Trump had invoked executive privilege. However, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, appointed by President Barack Obama, ruled against Navarro’s argument, stating that he failed to demonstrate that Trump had genuinely invoked executive privilege.
Peter Navarro (Credits: The Daily Beast)
This urgent appeal comes at a significant juncture as the Supreme Court prepares to consider whether Trump himself enjoys presidential immunity regarding allegations of interference in the 2020 election.
Navarro’s case isn’t the first involving a Trump aide being convicted of contempt of Congress. Former White House adviser Steve Bannon received a four-month sentence for similar charges. However, Bannon was permitted to remain free while awaiting appeal, thanks to a decision by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, appointed by Trump.
Navarro was found guilty of defying a subpoena for documents and testimony from the House January 6 committee and was handed a four-month prison sentence. He previously served as a trade adviser in the Trump White House and subsequently became known for promoting Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
