Breaking News | Ex-Trump Aide Peter Navarro to Face Trial Over Defiance of Jan. 6 Panel

Within the weeks after the 2020 election was introduced, President Donald J. Trump’s White Home adviser Peter Navarro labored intently with different senior aides to maintain Mr Trump in energy for a second time period.

After being subpoenaed by the Home committee probing the January 6, 2021 riot final 12 months, demanding to know extra about these efforts, Mr Navarro refused to conform, insisting that Mr. Trump had instructed him to not cooperate and dismissed the subpoena. as “unlawful” and “unenforceable”.

Now, after greater than a 12 months of authorized wrangling, Navarro, 74, will defend these claims in a trial beginning Tuesday, when jury choice is predicted to start in federal district courtroom in Washington. The case facilities on a comparatively easy query: whether or not he has proven contempt of Congress in refusing a Home committee request for paperwork and testimony.

The trial itself might be comparatively brief, and if Mr Navarro is convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress, he may withstand one 12 months in jail and a superb of as much as $100,000 for every rely.

Since Mr Navarro was indicted final June, he has stated he is protected against the previous president’s declare of government privilege.

Prosecutors intend to argue that Mr. Navarro declined of his personal volition and that neither Mr. Trump nor his attorneys have confirmed whether or not Mr. Navarro sought or acquired their approval.

Decide Amit P. Mehta within the case has already dealt a blow to Mr. Navarro by ruling that he can’t depend on government privilege as a pillar of his protection. He declined to dismiss the case after concluding that Mr. Navarro had failed to provide substantial proof that he and Mr. Trump had ever mentioned their response in Congress.

Describing Mr Navarro’s protection as “very weak sauce”, Decide Mehta emphasised that he had introduced no written communication and even “smoke indicators” that will strengthen his competition.

“I nonetheless do not know what the President stated,” Justice Mehta stated. “I’ve no phrases from the previous President.”

Stanley Woodward Jr., a lawyer for Mr. Navarro, replied, “I do not assume anybody will disagree that we want there was extra from President Trump.”

Nonetheless, outdoors courtroom, Mr. Navarro has continued to current the case as a elementary dispute between the legislative and government branches, calling the battle over government privilege an “open query” in legislation and promising to attraction .

Mr Navarro is one in every of two Trump aides dealing with prison prices following the Home committee investigation. Considered one of Mr. Trump’s senior advisers, Stephen Ok. Bannon was convicted final summer season on two counts of contempt of Congress and sentenced to 4 months in jail.

After the 2020 election, Mr. Bannon and Mr. Navarro created a scheme, often called the Inexperienced Bay sweep, geared toward delaying the certification of the election end result. The technique included persuading Republican lawmakers to cease counting Electoral School votes on January 6 by repeatedly difficult the ends in numerous swing states.

When the Home committee probing the January 6 assault issued a subpoena, Mr. Bannon refused to conform.

Others in Mr Trump’s interior circle have been much less aggressive in opposing the panel’s efforts.

Two of Mr Trump’s advisers, Roger J. Stone Jr. and Michael T. Flynn finally appeared earlier than the committee, however declined to reply most of its questions, citing their Fifth Modification rights in opposition to self-incrimination. Mr Trump’s final chief of employees, Mark Meadows, and his deputy, Dan Scavino, negotiated the phrases of their response to the subpoenas, offering paperwork however not testifying. Not one of the 4 males confronted prison prices.

The submitting of prices in opposition to Mr. Navarro was broadly seen as proof that the Justice Division was able to take aggressive motion in opposition to one in every of Mr. Trump’s prime aides because the Home investigated the incidents involving the previous president and his advisers. Investigated the work of colleagues. Earlier than and through the Capitol assault.

The trial may additionally shed new gentle on Mr Navarro’s communications with the White Home at key moments throughout Mr Trump’s closing days in energy.

A possible witness for the protection is Liz Harrington, Mr Trump’s communications aide who helped unfold false claims of election irregularities within the months main as much as the 2020 election. Ms. Harrington was scheduled to testify final week about Mr. Navarro’s claims of government privilege, however as an alternative she may present written testimony in regards to the extent of Mr. Navarro’s contacts with Mr. Trump and his aides.

allen feuer Contributed reporting.