Peter Navarro’s trial on contempt of Congress charges begins with jury selection
Kaelan Deese
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Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro will face trial on contempt of Congress charges for defying subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 committee, with jury selection beginning Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rejected Navarro’s bid last week to avoid contempt charges. Navarro, 74, said former President Donald Trump had invoked executive privilege to block him from testifying before the committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
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Mehta said there were three prongs needed to satisfy claims of executive privilege. The judge held it could not be asserted by “mere acquiescence” or a “blanket assertion of privilege,” that it must be invoked by the president or an authorized representative, and that it must be made after personal consideration by the president or an authorized person.
Trump had not submitted any evidence showing that he claimed executive privilege over Navarro’s former role.
Mehta said Navarro failed to cite specific examples of Trump discussing executive privilege with him.
“Even if there aren’t magic words,” the judge said, there should be “some words” about what Trump said, adding the former adviser’s argument was “pretty weak sauce.”
Last year, Navarro was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of contempt of Congress, in part for failing to provide papers and another for failure to provide testimony to the Jan. 6 committee. He was indicted following a criminal referral from the House of Representatives for ignoring the committee’s subpoenas.
The now-defunct committee didn’t accept Navarro’s executive privilege claims at the time, arguing that it needed information from him because of his alleged role in Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election.
Navarro has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
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Former White House adviser Steve Bannon was convicted last year of two counts of contempt of Congress for avoiding the House Jan. 6 committee. He was sentenced to four months in prison but has not served his time after a judge said he can remain free pending appeal.
Republicans who now control the House are likely to keep a watchful eye on the outcome of Navarro’s trial, as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and other leaders are seeking to compel executive branch officials to testify in their investigation of Hunter Biden and his family’s business dealings.