Peter Navarro, a former adviser to Donald Trump, was sentenced to four months in prison on Thursday. He refused to appear before the committee investigating the storming of the Capitol in 2021. The judge called it contempt of Congress.
Navarro was already convicted of contempt of Congress last September, but his sentence has not yet been determined.
The prosecution had demanded that he be imprisoned for six months. In their eyes, Navarro places his loyalty to the former president above the rule of law. “The defendant has blatantly defied Congress,” one plaintiff said. Navarro's lawyers had asked for a suspended sentence.
At the time, Congress wanted to ask Navarro about the so-called “Green Bay Sweep.” With this plan, he and Trump, among others, tried to delay confirmation of Joe Biden's election victory.
The committee wanted to see certain documents and communications, but according to the lawyers, their client Navarro believed Trump had blocked access to them. The judge believes Navarro obstructed the committee's work by denying access.
“Biden is not responsible for prosecuting you.”
The judge also criticized Navarro for his previous statement that President Biden and other key Democrats were behind the trial. “Joe Biden is not responsible for prosecuting you,” the judge stressed. “This kind of statement from someone who knows better undermines our policy.”
Navarro is the second former senior Trump adviser to be convicted of contempt of Congress. Steve Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison in 2022. He has appealed.
Navarro asked the judge to suspend the ruling while he appeals. No decision has been taken yet in this regard.
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