Former Trump Adviser Navarro Found Guilty of Contempt of Congress

A federal jury in Washington has convicted former Trump aide Peter Navarro of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena. The jury verdict in federal court came late in the afternoon of Sept. 7 after a few hours of deliberation. The trial began with jury selection on Sept. 5. Mr. Navarro, who was President Donald Trump’s White House trade adviser, did not appear to react when the verdict was read. Citing the presence of protesters outside the courthouse, Mr. Navarro’s attorney, Stanley Woodward of Brand Woodward Law in Washington, promptly moved for a mistrial before Judge Amit Mehta, who was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014. A protester was “accosting” his client, Mr. Woodward told the judge. The judge did not rule on the mistrial motion before the court was adjourned. Protesters, both for and against Mr. Navarro, were present outside the courthouse after the verdict was delivered. The Epoch Times reached out to Mr. Navarro’s legal team at the courthouse but its members declined to comment. Mr. Navarro was indicted for contempt of Congress in June 2022 for failing to comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 Select Committee that existed during the life of the previous Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives. He pled not guilty to the charges. One count stemmed from Mr. Navarro’s failure to produce documents the select committee requested; the other, from his failure to appear to provide testimony at a deposition. He could be sentenced to as much as a year in prison and fined up to $100,000. Sentencing was scheduled for Jan. 12, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. Mr. Woodward said on Sept. 6 that he was prepared to file an appeal if his client were convicted.