Former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro was released Wednesday after serving a four-month prison sentence for defying a congressional subpoena, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to Spectrum News.
What You Need To Know
- Former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro was released Wednesday after serving a four-month prison sentence for defying a congressional subpoena, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to Spectrum News
- Navarro, 75, was convicted of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters and the events that led up to it
- Hours after he was released from prison, he gave a speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
- Navarro continues to appeal the verdict on the merits
Navarro, 75, was convicted of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters and the events that led up to it. Navarro, who was also fined $9,500, served his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami.
Hours after his release from prison for defying a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee, Navarro spoke at the RNC.
Navarro accused Democrats in the federal government of pursuing political prosecutions targeting Republicans and had a chilling message for the crowd: “You may be thinking this couldn’t happen to you. Make no mistake, they’re already coming for you.”
He received a long standing ovation amid chants of “Fight! Fight! Fight”, echoing Trump's comments after the attempt on his life over the weekend.
“This morning, I did walk out of a federal prison in Miami,” he said, charging: “Joe Biden and his department of injustice put me there.
“I’ve got a very simple message for you: If they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump, be careful, they will come for you.”
The House committee sought documents and testimony from Navarro, who they believed had information relevant to their investigation.
Navarro claimed he could not cooperate because former President Donald Trump had invoked executive privilege. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, however, barred Navarro’s lawyers from making that argument at his trial because Navarro failed to show Trump ever invoked it.
An appeals and the Supreme Court rejected bids by Navarro to delay his sentence until after his appeal was heard. The three-judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found the appeal was not likely to reverse his conviction. He continues to appeal the verdict on the merits.
Navarro is one of two former Trump advisers who were convicted for flouting subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 committee.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon was also sentenced to four months in prison for criminal contempt of Congress and fined $6,500. He reported to prison July 1 after an appeals court upheld his conviction.
Editor's note: This article was updated to say Navarro's speech at the Republican National Convention will be Wednesday night.