Former Trump business adviser Peter Navarro snapped at a protester and tried to wrest the “Lost Trump” sign from him on Wednesday after a federal judge rejected his bid to avoid a contempt of Congress trial.
Navarro, 74, will face two charges starting Sept. 5 for his refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Wednesday that Navarro had not met the burden of proof necessary to show that executive privilege had been invoked to protect him from congressional subpoenas, allowing the trial to move forward.
Executive privilege grants the president the right to maintain the confidentiality of certain communications.
Navarro claimed that Trump had invoked executive privilege and demanded that he not divulge privileged content to the committee, thus shielding him from subpoena liability.
Peter Navarro could face up to a year in prison and $100,000 in fines on the contempt charge.REUTERS
But Mehta was not convinced.
“Executive privilege is an extraordinary assertion of power, not to be invoked lightly,” the judge said, according to NBC News.
“Even if there are no magic words,” Mehta argued, there should be “some words” or an indication from Trump that Navarro was covered by the waiver.
Judge Amit Mehta rejected Peter Navarro’s defense of executive privilege, arguing that he lacked evidence that Donald Trump invoked it. REUTERS
Earlier this year, a Trump lawyer sent a letter to Navarro arguing that he “had an obligation to assert executive privilege on his behalf and fully comply with the principles of confidentiality.”
After the hearing, Navarro lamented to reporters the price of the litigation against him and refrained from commenting in detail on the judicial process.
Behind Navarro was a woman waving a sign that said “Trump lost (and you know it),” criticizing his peddling of 2020 election fraud allegations.
A protester tormented Peter Navarro with a “Trump lost” sign after Wednesday’s court hearing.REUTERS
Peter Navarro tried unsuccessfully to snatch the poster from him.REUTERS
He then continued with his group as the woman interrupted him and waved her sign behind him. AFP via Getty Images
At one point, a visibly irritated Navarro turned around and tried to take the sign from him, but was unsuccessful.
“Bro, you’re already facing charges,” the woman urged in response.
During the brief press conference, Navarro indicated that he was not concerned about the possible bias of the jury that will soon be selected in Washington, DC for the case.
In late 2021, Navarro apparently mocked the January 6 committee, suggesting that he would not dare contact it because he had evidence to clear Trump’s name.
“They don’t want to know anything about me. I exonerate Trump and Bannon,” he told the Daily Beast in 2021.
Ultimately, the panel decided it wanted to talk to Navarro about his so-called “Green Bay Sweep” plan to overturn the 2020 election results and any other inside knowledge he may have had.
Mark Meadows avoided contempt of Congress charges, but was recently indicted in the Georgia election rigging case, which he tried to bring to federal court.Getty Images
Navarro has pleaded not guilty to both charges, which accuse him of failing to present documents or appear for an interview.
The select committee referred at least four Trump administration officials to the Justice Department for possible contempt charges: Navarro, former White House strategist Steve Bannon, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino, and former White House Chief of Staff Mark. Meadows.
The Justice Department chose to file charges against Bannon and Navarro, but not against Scavino and Meadows.
Steve Bannon was convicted last year of contempt of Congress for a similar challenge to the Committee’s January 6 subpoena demands. Mark Peterson/Redux for NY Post
Bannon was convicted last year of two counts of contempt and ordered to serve four months in prison and pay a $6,500 fine. He has since appealed that conviction.
If convicted, Navarro could face between 30 days and a year behind bars, as well as a fine of up to $100,000 per count.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn