Former Trump aide sued by government over White House emails

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Peter Navarro, the often belligerent former Trump adviser who already faces trial on charges of contempt of Congress, was sued by the government on Wednesday over his refusal to turn over private emails he allegedly used to manage business in the White House during the Trump administration.

Navarro, according to court documents filed by the Justice Department on behalf of the National Archives, “has refused to return any presidential records he has retained without being granted immunity for the act of returning such documents.”

The lawsuit accuses the economic adviser of “improperly retaining presidential records that are the property of the United States and that constitute part of the permanent historical record of the previous administration.”

An attorney for Navarro did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

More than 1,000 threats against election officials have been reported in the past year, a Senate committee official said.

Court filings say the controversy surrounding Navarro’s emails began when a congressional committee reviewing the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic found that Navarro, who often played a large role in publicly discussing Trump in the White home for the pandemic response, used a private email account to conduct government work. From the perspective of the National Archives, these emails are official government records.

After more than a month of discussions on the subject with government lawyers, Navarro’s lawyer told officials that they believed between 200 and 250 documents could be considered presidential records.

Separately, Navarro has repeatedly clashed with government officials since his arrest in June on charges of contempt of Congress for allegedly refusing to provide testimony or documents to the House special committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.

Navarro publicly denounced the agents who arrested him and is due back in court next week as he prepares for a November trial on contempt charges. Another former Trump adviser, Stephen K. Bannon, was convicted last month in a similar case.