On Thursday, a group of judges from the federal appeals court unanimously decided against Peter Navarro, a former adviser to Trump, in his attempt to delay his prison time. Navarro was hoping to postpone his sentence while he tries to overturn his conviction for contempt of Congress on two counts.
At the age of 74, Navarro aimed to pause his upcoming prison sentence. This was part of his broader effort to challenge the charges linked to his refusal to obey a subpoena from the House select committee. This committee was looking into the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Navarro’s legal team has expressed their willingness to escalate the appeal to the Supreme Court if it becomes necessary.
However, the three-judge panel from the circuit court concluded on Thursday that Navarro’s appeal did not raise significant legal or factual questions that could lead to a reversal of his conviction. As a result, he is required to start his prison sentence next week as originally planned.
Peter Navarro was seen speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 24, 2024, in National Harbor, Maryland. The photo was credited to Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
The order was signed by Judges Patricia Millett, Cornelia Pillard, and Robert Wilkins of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Navarro’s lawyers have stated in court documents that he must report to a Miami facility by the afternoon of March 19. He is set to serve a four-month sentence there.
This would mark him as the first former adviser to Trump to be jailed in connection with the January 6 events.
During Navarro’s trial, David Buckley, the former staff director for the Jan. 6 committee, mentioned that the committee wanted to question Navarro. They were interested in his efforts to delay the certification of the 2020 election results by Congress, an initiative Navarro referred to as the “Green Bay Sweep” in his book, “In Trump Time.”
Navarro argued without success that former President Donald Trump had invoked executive privilege over his testimony and document production.