Former President Donald Trump adviser Peter Navarro will head to trial on Tuesday on two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress, after refusing to testify or provide documents to the U.S. congressional investigation of the attack on the Capitol.
Navarro, a longtime China hawk who advised Republican Trump on trade issues and also served on the COVID-19 task force, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Jury selection will begin on Tuesday in the trial.
It is unclear precisely when opening statements will take place. The Democratic-led House of Representatives committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack wanted to ask him about a "Green Bay Sweep" plan to delay Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election victory that Navarro later detailed in a book he wrote after leaving the White House.Earlier this year, Special Counsel Jack Smithcriminally for trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat, which Trump falsely claims was the result of fraud. Navarro has maintained that his refusal to testify or provide documents demanded by a congressional subpoena was sparked by Trump's invocation of executive privilege, a legal doctrine that shields certain White House communications from disclosure. He was not able to get Trump to testify and has only produced one letter written by Trump's attorney after Navarro's indictment that claimed Navarro had an obligation to assert privilege. At a hearing on Aug. 28, Navarro testified that Trump made it "very clear" he should not testify before Congress in a phone call that took place 11 days after he received the committee's February 2022 subpoena.U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who will preside over the trial, questioned why Navarro could not articulate precisely what Trump said on the call. "I still don’t know what the president said," Mehta said at the Aug. 28 hearing, adding that the evidence in support of Navarro's claims was "pretty weak sauce." He ultimately rejected Navarro's request to cite his phone call as evidence during the trial that Trump invoked privilege, finding Navarro had failed to provide adequate details about the substance of the call. Mehta also found that even if Navarro believed he was immune from testifying, he still had to appear before the committee in response to the subpoena. Each contempt count Navarro faces has the potential to a carry a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of up to $100,000.before the same committee in July 2022.Reporting by Andrew Goudsward and Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Grant McCool
Please follow us on Google to support usUnited States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
White House says 'there was no indication' DeSantis would snub Biden visit after IdaliaWhite House officials said Saturday they were caught flat-footed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' decision not to meet with President Biden when Bide...
Read more »
White House plan to negotiate drug prices could affect 165,000 ArizonansThe Biden administration targeted 10 prescription drugs Tuesday as part of the first-ever Medicare price negotiation, a move that it said would benefit about 165,000 people in Arizona.
Read more »
Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro's contempt trial to begin TuesdayFormer Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro will go to trial Tuesday on criminal charges that he defied a subpoena from the House committee investigating Jan. 6.
Read more »
Peter Navarro, second ex-Trump aide to be prosecuted for contempt of Congress, faces trial TuesdayFormer White House trade adviser Peter Navarro goes on trial Tuesday as the second ex-aide to former President Donald Trump to be prosecuted for criminal contempt of Congress.
Read more »