Former US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, has been found guilty of contempt of Congress. This ruling comes in response to Navarro’s defiance of a subpoena issued by the House of Representatives committee investigating the 2021 Capitol attack. On Thursday, a 12-member jury delivered a verdict of guilt on two counts of contempt, citing Navarro’s refusal to testify or provide requested documents to the Democratic-led House panel. The investigation in question pertains to the January 6, 2021 riot by Trump supporters and broader efforts by Trump to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
Federal prosecutor Elizabeth Aloi underscored during closing arguments that Navarro had chosen loyalty to former President Trump over compliance with the subpoena. This, she emphasized, constituted contempt of Congress, thus constituting a criminal offense. The charges carry a sentencing range from a minimum of 30 days to a maximum of one year in jail. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 12, 2024.
Navarro had previously argued that he was not obligated to comply with the committee’s demand because Trump had invoked executive privilege. However, US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Navarro could not employ this defense, as the defendant had not presented evidence that Trump formally invoked executive privilege in response to the subpoena.
Potential Venue Shift in Georgia Case
In a separate development, a lawyer representing former President Trump disclosed in a court filing the possibility of seeking a transfer of the Georgia criminal case, where Trump faces allegations of conspiring to overturn his 2020 US election loss, from state to federal court. Such a move could potentially provide a more favorable legal venue for the former president. Notably, several of Trump’s 18 co-defendants, including his former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, have already submitted petitions to have their cases relocated to federal court following charges brought last month. These charges stemmed from an investigation led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Reuters
