opinion
Former senior Trump adviser Peter Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison for defying a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 protest at the Capitol.
A federal grand jury indicted Navarro last summer on two felony counts of contempt of Congress, one for failure to appear during testimony, and one for refusing to produce documents despite a subpoena by the committee.
He was convicted in September 2023 on both charges.
Prosecutors in the case were seeking a six-month prison sentence, claiming Navarro showed a “complete disregard” for the House committee's investigation and “complete contempt for the rule of law.”
Steve Bannon, another former White House adviser under President Donald Trump, was also convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress last year.
In addition to the prison sentence, Navarro was ordered to pay a $9,500 fine.
RELATED: Former Trump advisor Peter Navarro charged with non-compliance with Jan. 6 commission
Navarro heads to prison – reaction
Navarro's defense focused on his belief that he was protected by executive privilege, which he claimed former President Trump invoked. However, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that there was no evidence that Trump formally invoked executive privilege to shield Navarro from the committee.
Prosecutors fed the judge what some described as a gross inflation of the commission's value.
“The committee was investigating an attack on the foundation of our democracy,” Assistant US Attorney John Crabb said. “There could not be a more serious investigation by Congress.”
There was very little serious value that came from the January 6 committee that has now been shown to have destroyed the files after it was dissolved when Republicans took control of the House.
US District Judge Mehta, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama to the US District Court for the District of Columbia, claimed that the Justice Department's prosecution of Navarro was not politically motivated.
“It is unfortunate that the statements are misleading. They are misinformed,” Mehta said. “Nancy Pelosi is not responsible for this prosecution; Joe Biden is not responsible for the prosecution. It is these types of statements from someone who knows better… that are contributing to the cause of the great division.” Which our politics lives through.”
RELATED: Hillary Clinton mocks Steve Bannon with reminder that she 'was never indicted'
Police state?
There were those who took issue with Mehta's claim that going after Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon for challenging a politically biased committee of questionable authority was no Political trial.
Especially as the public watches President Biden's son publicly brag about his defiance of congressional subpoenas.
Former White House advisor Sebastian Gorka criticized the ruling, calling it evidence of the deep state's persecution of the previous administration.
“Peter Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison for refusing to testify before Pelosi’s illegal J6 committee,” he wrote. “Hunter Biden walks around as a free man”.
“The police state has arrived,” he added.
Trending Politics co-owner Colin Rogge also took aim at Mehta's specious claims that the Justice Department was not heavily involved in political persecution.
“Selective justice strikes again,” he wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Navarro indicated that he will continue the appeals process.
“It's a case that really raises the important question of whether a senior White House aide and the president's figurehead can be forced to testify before Congress,” he said among the demonstrators.
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