It was a short trial with only two days of trial and the jury only needed four hours to reach their verdict: Because he refused to testify before the committee investigating the storming of the Capitol last year and to hand over requested documents, the former trade advisor is in white House, Peter Navarro, was found guilty. US District Judge Amit Mehta plans to announce his verdict on January 12th.
Navarro faces between 30 days and a year in prison for each of the two charges. A fine is also possible. The 74-year-old is the second adviser to then US President Donald Trump to be convicted of failing to cooperate with the committee.
Former chief strategist Steve Bannon was also sentenced to four months in prison last fall for contempt of Congress, but appealed the decision and remains free pending the outcome.
The verdict will be appealed
Navarro also wants to appeal against his verdict. A “senior White House adviser” cannot be forced to testify before Congress because this violates the “separation of powers” between the executive and legislative branches. “This case is far from over,” he said.
The Congressional Investigative Committee examined the events of January 6, 2021: On that day, Trump supporters violently stormed the Parliament building in Washington, where Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election was about to be confirmed.
rb/wa (AP, AFP, dpa)
Source: DW
