Former Trump adviser Navarro in court for contempt of Congress sentencing

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro was in federal court on Thursday to be sentenced for contempt of Congress after refusing to cooperate with an investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro was in federal court on Thursday to be sentenced for contempt of Congress after refusing to cooperate with an investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Federal prosecutors in Washington are seeking six months in prison for Navarro, arguing that he chose allegiance to Trump over the rule of law.

"The defendant brazenly defied Congress," prosecutor John Crabb said. Navarro's lawyers are asking for probation, arguing that the former White House adviser believed that he did not have to cooperate with Congress because he thought Trump had invoked the legal doctrine of executive privilege, which shields some presidential records and communications from disclosure.

Navarro was found guilty in September of two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to turn over documents and provide testimony to a Democratic-led House of Representatives panel. The committee investigated the Jan. 6 attack by Trump supporters and broader attempts by the former president to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Dr. Navarro wasn't playing smoke and mirrors with the committee," attorney Stanley Woodward told the judge. "It was what he understood his duty was as a former presidential adviser."

Navarro, wearing a dark suit and red tie, looked on while his lawyer pushed for leniency. Navarro has asked that any sentence be put on hold while he pursues an appeal.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who has overseen the case, determined that Trump had not clearly directed Navarro to assert privilege. He was barred from making that argument to the jury during his trial. Navarro, 74, advised Trump on trade issues during his presidency and served on a COVID-19 task force. He became a vocal supporter of Trump's false claims of widespread voting fraud in the 2020 election. Trump supporters sought to prevent Congress from certifying Biden's victory, clashing with police and rampaging through the Capitol.

The House committee had sought to interview Navarro about his plan, dubbed the "Green Bay Sweep," to derail the certification of the election results. Navarro is the second prominent Trump adviser to be convicted of contempt of Congress for spurning the House panel. Former Trump adviser and right-wing firebrand Steve Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison in 2022. He has avoided serving the sentence while he appeals his conviction.