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Peter Navarro, who served within the White House beneath former President Donald Trump, was sentenced Thursday for flouting a House Jan. 6 committee subpoena.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced Navarro to 4 months in jail. That’s two months shorter than the six prosecutors had sought.
A former adviser to the president on commerce and manufacturing insurance policies, Navarro was convicted in September of two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena for paperwork and a deposition from the House choose committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol. The subpoena required Navarro to seem and produce paperwork in February 2022, and sit for a deposition in March 2022, however Navarro refused to present the supplies and testify. As a non-public citizen, he was indicted on June 2, 2022.
Mehta on Thursday had gone by way of a tedious recounting of the sentencing tips and got here to the conclusion that there’s a “zero to six months range,” of imprisonment on this case, in addition to a advantageous vary of $500 to $9,500. Sentencing tips are solely a suggestion. The choose may have sentenced Navarro to an extended sentence if he noticed match.
At the sentencing listening to, Navarro spoke in his personal protection, saying he defied the subpoena as a result of he believed in “good faith” that Trump had invoked govt privilege.
“When I received that congressional subpoena, the second, I had an honest belief that the privilege had been invoked, and I was torn. Nobody in my position should be put in conflict between the legislative branch and the executive branch. Is that the lesson of this entire proceeding? Get a letter and a lawyer? I think in a way it is,” Navarro stated. “I am disappointed with a process where a jury convicted me, and I was unable to provide a defense, one of the most important elements of our justice system.”
DOJ RECOMMENDS 6 MONTH SENTENCE FOR FORMER TRUMP ADVISER PETER NAVARRO
“The day of the attack on our Capitol was one of the worst days of my life. Desecration of our Capitol and the end of any argument about the Vote Count law on our books,” he added.
Navarro’s protection legal professional stated the courtroom of enchantment will decide if govt privilege applies. The choose famous how in citing govt privilege, one other White House adviser, Kellyanne Conway “had an (DOJ Office of Legal Counsel) OLC opinion she could rely on,” however Navarro had no such opinion and did not rent illustration.
Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro talks to the media as he arrives at U.S. Federal Courthouse in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“I have a great deal of respect for your client and what he accomplished and that makes it more disappointing,” Mehta stated, additionally noting that Mark Meadows, who additionally confronted a Jan. 6 committee subpoena, “produced documents, produced texts, he didn’t testify, but at least he did something.”
“Before he was contacted, what they wanted. He responded, ‘Executive Privilege.’ That makes it clear that this defendant did not take this seriously. The defendant simply defied Congress. The defendant believes that he is above the law,” a prosecutor stated of Navarro in addressing the courtroom Thursday. “The things the committee wanted to talk to him about were not exclusively about conversations he had with the president.”
Prosecutors had requested the choose to sentence Navarro to six months behind bars and impose a $200,000 advantageous. The Justice Department has beforehand famous that every depend of contempt of Congress carries a minimal of 30 days and a most of 1 yr in jail, in addition to a advantageous of up to $100,000.
FORMER TRUMP ADVISER NAVARRO CONVICTED OF CONTEMPT AFTER DEFYING JAN. 6 SUBPOENA
Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro arrives at U.S. Federal Courthouse in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“The United States vs. Peter Navarro has turned out to be a very important landmark constitutional case. That is going to resolve important issues about the constitutional separation of powers as well as, the integrity, efficiency of presidential decision-making. And we’ll see what happens today. Is that what Trump loves to say? Let’s see what happens,” Navarro informed reporters upon arriving on the courthouse Thursday morning. He stated his authorized payments related to the case have surpassed $1 million and thanked 20,000 small donors for their assist.
He additionally appealed to supporters to donate to assist cowl his authorized bills at defendpeter.com.
Navarro has vowed to enchantment the decision, saying he couldn’t cooperate with the committee as a result of Trump had invoked govt privilege.
The choose barred him from making that argument at trial, nevertheless, discovering that he didn’t present Trump had truly invoked it. Justice Department prosecutors say Navarro tried to “hide behind claims of privilege” even earlier than he knew precisely what the committee wished, exhibiting a “disdain” for the committee that ought to warrant an extended sentence.
Defense attorneys stated Trump did declare govt privilege, placing Navarro in an “untenable position,” and the previous adviser must be sentenced to probation and a $100 advantageous.
Navarro was the second Trump aide to face contempt of Congress expenses. Former White House adviser Steve Bannon was convicted of two counts and was sentenced to 4 months behind bars, although he has been free whereas interesting his conviction.
Images and movies are seen on a display screen because the House Selects committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol meets to vote on contempt expenses towards former Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino on Monday, March 28, 2022. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post by way of Getty Images)
Navarro’s sentencing comes after a choose rejected his bid for a brand new trial. His attorneys had argued that jurors could have been improperly influenced by political protesters outdoors the courthouse once they took a break from deliberations. Shortly after their break, the jury discovered him responsible of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress.
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But Mehta discovered that Navarro did not present that the eight-minute break had any impact on the September verdict. No protest was underway and nobody approached the jury — they solely interacted with one another and the courtroom officer assigned to accompany them, in accordance to the choose.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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