Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro is set to be sentenced on Thursday for criminal contempt of Congress. Federal prosecutors accuse him of disregarding the House committee’s investigation into the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. This charge carries a minimum sentence of one month in prison.
Navarro was convicted in September for refusing to testify and provide documents to the House Select Committee. The committee was formed to investigate the events surrounding the Capitol attack and was disbanded in late 2022 when Republicans gained control of the House.
Prosecutors are seeking a six-month federal prison sentence for Navarro, claiming that he prioritized politics over the country and obstructed Congress’s investigation. They argue that Navarro’s allegiance to former President Donald Trump took precedence over the rule of law.
Navarro gained notoriety for spreading misinformation about the 2020 election, supporting Trump’s false claims of election fraud. He even issued a report that Trump wrongly claimed provided evidence of his loss being statistically impossible. Trump’s tweet on December 19, 2020, referring to this report, has been cited by numerous defendants involved in the January 6th attack as their motivation to travel to Washington.
Navarro’s lawyer requested an immediate stay on any potential sentence due to various legal issues raised during the case. Among these issues is Navarro’s belief that Trump had invoked executive privilege. Steve Bannon, a right-wing podcaster and former White House official, was previously sentenced to four months in prison for a similar contempt conviction but has not yet served any time as he seeks to overturn his conviction.
Federal prosecutors highlighted Navarro’s exploitation of his notoriety throughout the case, using press conferences, books, and podcasts to exhibit his disregard for government processes and the law. They noted that Navarro was willing to share his knowledge with the public but withheld it from Congress.
U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta will preside over Navarro’s sentencing, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET.
Source: F5mag.com