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Former Trump trade adviser to the White House Peter Navarro pleaded not guilty Friday to two counts of criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to execute a subpoena from a House committee investigates the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The petition came at a brief hearing in Washington’s federal district court, where Navarro appeared with his new lawyers, John P. Rowley III and John C. Irving IV, and took a less combative stance than he did immediately after his arrest. U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta has scheduled his trial for November 17.
Navarro, 72, faces up to a year in prison if convicted of two counts of contempt, one of which he refused to testify and the other of his refusal to present documents to the commission in response to a summons.
Outside the court, Navarro’s lawyer questioned the appropriateness of Navarro’s arrest, but said the legal team would address the issue “at the right time.” Navarro claims he was in contact with the FBI and could have surrendered, but agents pulled him in the wrong way him got off the jet at Reagan National Airport and handcuffed and chained his legs
“I’m telling you, as a former federal prosecutor, on a charge of a white-collar crime involving what is essentially a procedural crime, handcuffs and leg irons are not the order of the day,” Rowley said, adding that the arrest and swift announcement of the charges were “apparently carried out with the aim of humiliating Mr Navarro”.
“We need to understand in this case who made this decision and why this decision was made,” Rowley said.
After first appearing in court on June 3, Navarro had attacked prosecutors and the FBI, likening the government’s behavior to that of “Stalinist Russia, the Chinese Communist Party” and “terrorism.” The FBI then said it could not confirm the manner in which Navarro was arrested; a spokeswoman on Friday cited a lawsuit accusing Navarro of making false statements to the media about the circumstances of his detention. The document confirms that Navarro was handcuffed, but claims that agents made adjustments when he complained of discomfort.
Navarro is one of two former Trump aides facing criminal charges after ignoring the commission’s subpoenas and testimony from Jan. 6. The other, former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, will stand trial on July 18 after a judge on Wednesday refused to drop his charge.
After announcing the indictment against Navarro, the Justice Department said it would not press charges against other Trump aides, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and communications chief Daniel Scavino Jr., whom the House similarly referred to prosecution. to reject the commission.
The House of Representatives’ inquiry committee issued a summons to Navarro on February 9th, seeking information on his actions to develop a strategy to delay or revoke the certification of the 2020 elections.
In a letter accompanying the summons, Benny G. Thompson, D-Miss. postpone certification by Congress and ultimately change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
The letter too quotes Navarro’s recent book, The Time of Trump, in which he details a plan called The Green Bay Sweep. He described the plan as “the last best chance to snatch stolen elections from Democrat fraud.”
Navarro’s team asked for a test date in January or later, noting that Trump’s former trade adviser would promote a different, upcoming book by the end of the year, Return of America to Trump. “The book,” said Irving, “is important to him in terms of income and what not.” It’s not a trivial thing. “
Assistant Attorney General Amanda Vaughn has argued that because the judge’s schedule is full of cases for the January 6 riots in the Capitol, choosing a date in 2023 could mean the trial will be postponed until April.
“The government has serious problems slowing down the book tour,” Vaughn said. “The public has an interest in resolving this case.”
Mehta agreed. “I do not think it is in the public interest to wait until April. There are complex legal issues, but in terms of experience, it will not take that long, “he said.
The uprising on January 6
The House Election Commission, which is investigating the uprising of January 6, 2021, is holding its third high-profile hearing this month. Find the latest here.
Hearings in Congress: A House of Representatives commission investigating the attack on the US Capitol has conducted more than 1,000 interviews in the past year. He will share his findings in a series of hearings starting on June 9th. Here is what we know about the hearings and how to watch them.
the riot: On January 6, 2021, a pro-Trump mob stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 election results. Five people died that day or immediately afterwards, and 140 police officers were attacked.
Inside the siege: During the riot, the rebels approached dangerously into the inner sanctuaries of the building while lawmakers were still there, including former Vice President Mike Pence. The Washington Post researched text messages, photos and videos to create a video history of what happened on January 6.
Charges: Proud Boys leader Enrique Tario and four lieutenants have been charged with rebellion, joining Oathkeepers leader Stuart Rhodes and about two dozen associates to be accused of involvement in the Capitol attack. They are just some of the hundreds who have been indicted, many of whom received significantly lighter sentences than the government demanded.
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