Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro rejected a plea agreement offer in his contempt of Congress case, according to a prosecutor.
Navarro pleaded not guilty to the two misdemeanor charges against him last month, but he was offered an opportunity to plead guilty to just one count and comply with the subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot “to the satisfaction of the Justice Department,” Reuters reported.
NAVARRO PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS CHARGES
Federal prosecutor Elizabeth Aloi announced Navarro’s refusal to accept the deal at a status hearing on Friday before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta.
Lawyers for Navarro rehashed their frustration with the circumstances of last month’s arrest of Navarro, who had been taken into custody by FBI agents at Reagan Washington National Airport while preparing for a flight to Nashville.
“It is curious to me, at a minimum, why the government treated Mr. Navarro’s arrest the way it did,” Mehta said during the hearing. “It’s surprising that self-surrender was not offered as an opportunity.”
Federal authorities have engaged in a back and forth with Navarro regarding details of the arrest with the DOJ, rebuffing his assertion he was denied legal counsel, food, and water during the encounter.
During the court hearing, lawyers for Navarro also reportedly noted he is being prosecuted for defying a House Jan. 6 committee subpoena, but lawmakers have declined to prosecute former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, both of whom were held in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas.
Navarro said he defied the subpoena the panel issued against him in February because former President Donald Trump asserted executive privilege, but the committee pointed out that President Joe Biden waived many of those privilege claims.
Members have signaled they intend to ask him about his “Green Bay Sweep” plan to challenge the 2020 election that he has discussed in numerous media interviews. Congress voted to hold him in contempt in April over his lack of compliance with the subpoena.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to a Navarro spokesperson for comment. He is expected back in court on Aug. 11 and will head to trial in the fall.
Navarro is the second Trump ally to face a criminal contempt charge related to the Jan. 6 committee after Steve Bannon was indicted last year. If convicted, Navarro could face up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 per charge.
