Former Trump aide Peter Navarro’s final attempt to avoid prison has been denied by the Supreme Court. The Court rejected Navarro’s plea to evade serving a four-month sentence for defying a congressional subpoena during his tenure as a Donald Trump adviser.
Chief Justice John Roberts issued an order declining Navarro’s request in a succinct statement. Navarro sought Supreme Court intervention just before his scheduled arrival at a federal prison facility in Miami on Tuesday. His conviction last year for defying a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee resulted in a four-month incarceration sentence.
Roberts emphasized that a lower court had determined Navarro forfeited any chance to remain free on bail while appealing, citing the Bail Reform Act. Navarro’s legal arguments centered on his assertion of executive privilege, with his legal team highlighting it as unprecedented for a senior presidential advisor to be convicted of contempt of Congress under these circumstances. However, Roberts referenced the court of appeals’ stance that Navarro was still obligated to comply with Congress’s inquiries beyond the scope of claimed privilege.
The federal appeals court had already rejected Navarro’s request for a stay, stating that his appeal did not raise substantial legal or factual questions likely to lead to a favorable outcome, such as a reversal or reduced sentence.
Navarro, known for his denial of the 2020 election results and involvement in attempts to overturn them, received a stern message from U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta during his sentencing in January, emphasizing that he was not a victim of political persecution and had been afforded due process.
