Supreme Court rejects Peter Navarro’s appeal, affirming contempt conviction for defying January 6 committee.
The US Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, denied former Donald Trump aide Peter Navarro’s request to delay his prison sentence.
Navarro was slated to begin a four-month term for contempt of Congress after ignoring a subpoena from the House January 6 committee.
The Supreme Court’s decision came just before Navarro’s scheduled to report to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Miami on Tuesday. His conviction and subsequent sentencing in January were the culmination of a case that began last year when he defied the committee’s demand for his testimony and documents.
Chief Justice Roberts, in his order, referenced the lower court’s finding that Navarro had forfeited his right to bail under the Bail Reform Act. This forfeiture stemmed from Navarro’s failure to comply with the conditions set forth by the act.
Navarro’s defence hinged on the assertion of executive privilege. His legal team contended “the first time in our nation’s history”, marking the first time a “senior presidential advisor has been convicted of contempt of Congress after asserting executive privilege over a congressional subpoena.”
However, the appeals court had previously determined that Navarro was “still obligated to appear before Congress and answer questions seeking information outside the scope of the asserted privilege.”
Supreme Court finds no grounds for favour
Chief Justice Roberts concurred with the appeals court, stating, “I see no basis to disagree with the determination that Navarro forfeited those arguments.”
The federal appeals court had already dismissed Navarro’s request for a stay the previous week. The court ruled that Navarro failed to demonstrate that his appeal raised significant legal or factual questions that could lead to a reversal of his conviction, a new trial, or a sentence without imprisonment. Plus, they found no likelihood of a sentence reduction to less than the time already served plus the expected duration of the appeal process.
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The former Trump aide, known for denying the legitimacy of the 2020 election results and his involvement in attempts to overturn Trump’s defeat to Joe Biden, faced stern words from U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta during his sentencing. Judge Mehta dismissed any notion of Navarro being a victim or the target of a politically motivated prosecution, asserting, “You are not a victim. You are not the object of a political prosecution — you aren’t. You have received every process you are due.”
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