Peter Navarro, a prominent figure from the Trump administration, has been found guilty of two counts of contempt by a Washington, D.C. jury, as reported by the Associated Press.
The verdict follows a trial marked by accusations of political bias and alleged ‘lawfare’ tactics by Democrats.
Prosecutors asserted that Navarro demonstrated a belief that he was ‘above the law’ by refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee, which had requested his documents and testimony. He now faces two misdemeanor charges of contempt of Congress, each carrying a potential sentence of up to one year in jail.
Navarro became the second Trump aide to confront contempt of Congress charges following former White House advisor Steve Bannon’s case. Bannon was found guilty on two counts and received a four-month prison sentence, although he remains free while awaiting appeal.
Navarro has pledged to appeal the verdict, contending that the outcome was predetermined after a judge ruled against his argument that he couldn’t cooperate with the committee due to Trump’s invocation of executive privilege.
“This is a landmark case that’s bound for the Supreme Court,” Navarro said. Defense attorney John Rowley echoed that, saying “this case is not over