Peter Navarro, a former official in the Trump administration, has been directed to report to prison following a decision by a panel of judges to deny his request for a postponement of his sentence.
The ruling by three federal appeals court judges stated that Navarro failed to demonstrate that his appeal raised significant legal issues that could lead to the overturning of his conviction. As a result, he has been instructed to report to a federal prison facility in Miami by March 19 at 2 p.m. Despite this, Navarro’s legal team has expressed their intention to take the case to the Supreme Court.
In 2022, the Justice Department charged Navarro with two counts of contempt of Congress for his refusal to cooperate with a select committee investigating the events of January 6 and his involvement in the efforts to challenge the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Following a trial in September, Navarro was found guilty on both counts.
Attempting to delay his sentencing, Navarro contended that he was acting under executive privilege at the direction of former President Trump, which prevented him from providing testimony or documents to the committee. However, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta dismissed this argument, pointing out the lack of evidence to support Navarro’s claim.
The appeals court panel dismissed Navarro’s assertion of executive privilege, emphasizing the committee’s critical need for information and evidence, which would outweigh any potential privilege claim. As a result, Navarro’s conviction stands despite his defense.
Navarro becomes the second former Trump advisor to face federal charges for defying the January 6 committee, with the distinction of being the first to face incarceration. While Steve Bannon, another former White House strategist, was also convicted in a similar case in 2022, he was granted freedom pending his own appeal.