Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro has been ordered to serve jail time for his conviction for contempt of Congress in relation to his refusal to testify about the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that the issues Navarro raised in his appeal were not substantive, leading to the decision to jail him while he awaits his appeal. Navarro insists that he should not have to testify or provide documents to the House committee due to Trump’s executive privilege, but Judge Mehta found no evidence of this privilege being invoked and stated that even if it had been, Navarro would still be required to appear before the committee.
The House committee sought to question Navarro in relation to statements he made in his 2021 book about a scheme to delay President Joe Biden’s election certification. According to the committee, Navarro claimed that more than 100 members of Congress were “on board with the strategy.” Identified as one of four people the House voted to prosecute during the Jan. 6 probe, Navarro has asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn his conviction and sentence. However, he now faces the prospect of jail time while awaiting the court’s decision.
Judge Mehta’s order comes after Navarro was convicted in September and sentenced to four months in jail and fined $9,500. The appeals court must now decide whether to grant him the opportunity to remain free while considering an appeal. Political strategist Steve Bannon, who was also convicted and sentenced for four months in jail, has similarly appealed his sentence. However, the Justice Department decided against charging former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.
