ISTANBUL
Peter Navarro, a trade adviser under former President Donald Trump, on Thursday was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress.
This conviction stems from his refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by a House committee investigating the events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, US media reported.
The subpoena was issued to compel Navarro’s testimony and relevant documents on efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Navarro claimed he was shielded from the subpoena by executive privilege, saying it protected his communications with Trump from disclosure.
US District Judge Amit Mehta rejected Navarro’s request to have the charges dismissed, as he found no conclusive evidence that Trump himself had invoked executive privilege in this case.
US Attorney Elizabeth Aloi said Navarro opted to prioritize his loyalty to the former president over obeying the congressional subpoena.
Stanley Woodward, Navarro’s attorney, argued that the prosecutors had not demonstrated that Navarro had acted “wilfully” or due to his allegiance to Trump.
Sentencing for Navarro, age 74, has been scheduled for Jan. 12. For each count of contempt, he faces a maximum of one year in prison and a fine of $100,000.
