Trump’s former trade adviser, Peter Navarro, has been convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress after failing to comply with a subpoena from the Congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Navarro was convicted on Thursday following four-hours of jury deliberation in a two-day trial. The trial consisted of the testimony from three committee personnel.
Navarro said he would appeal the verdict all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Navarro’s failure to comply with the subpoena impeded the congressional investigation into Trump’s role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
He could be sentenced to up to one year for each count.
“Our government only works when people play by the rules, and it only works when people are held accountable when they do not,” said U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi.”The defendant chose allegiance to former President Trump over compliance with a subpoena. The defendant chose defiance.”
Navarro claimed his reasons for defying the subpoena, which was issued in February 2022, was due to Trump’s invocation of executive privilege. But there was no evidence presented that Trump ever invoked executive privilege in his case.
The Committee expected Navarro’s decision to claim executive privilege and alerted him that this privilege would not apply to him.
