Closing arguments are scheduled to get underway Thursday morning in former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro’s criminal trial over failure to comply with a congressional subpoena connected to the Jan. 6 riot.
The trial on contempt of Congress charges has kept up a swift pace this week, with jury selection Tuesday followed by opening statements and witness testimony Wednesday.
The jury at the Washington federal courthouse is expected to have the case in hand by Thursday afternoon and could return a verdict later in the day.
In their opening statements, government attorneys argued that the case concerning Navarro’s noncompliance with a subpoena issued by the House Jan. 6 committee was straightforward.
“This case is all about a guy who didn’t provide documents. This case is just about a guy who didn’t show up for his testimony,” prosecutor John Crabb said. “Yes, this case is that simple.”
Navarro was indicted on two counts of contempt of Congress: one for failing to provide documents and the other for failing to provide testimony. The two counts each carry a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in prison, in addition to a maximum fine of $100,000.
Defense attorney Stanley Woodward told the jury in his opening statement that Navarro did not dispute many of the facts presented in the case, including that he had been issued and accepted a subpoena and that he had neither appeared for testimony nor produced records as required. But Woodward argued that Navarro had not willfully failed to comply with the subpoena, a crucial part of the case.
Prosecutors called three staff members of the Jan. 6 committee as witnesses, while the defense did not call any witnesses.
On his way into the courthouse Wednesday morning, Navarro carried a sign with an enlarged photo of former President Donald Trump gesturing a salute. Asked why he had the sign, Navarro said, “Commander-in-chief.”
Navarro declined to speak to reporters as he left the courthouse Wednesday afternoon.
Before the trial began, Navarro made several claims of executive privilege to avoid the contempt charges. He argued that Trump had directed him to invoke a power that can be used to protect presidential deliberations to shield him from sharing information with the Jan. 6 panel.
In a ruling last week, the judge overseeing the case rejected that argument, noting that the “extraordinary assertion of power” afforded by executive privilege was “not to be lightly invoked” and highlighting an absence of evidence to support Navarro’s claim.
Trump did not submit any evidence asserting that he had claimed executive privilege in Navarro’s case.
Navarro had repeatedly suggested that his case is destined for the Supreme Court. “Because this case is not really about me,” he said Tuesday. “It’s about the constitutional separation of powers and executive privilege.”
Woodward told NBC News on Wednesday that Navarro was prepared to appeal if the jury finds him guilty.
Navarro is one of several Trump allies who have been held in contempt of Congress in recent years.
Last year, a jury found former White House strategist Steve Bannon guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress over his failure to cooperate with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee. He was sentenced to four months behind bars and a $6,500 fine.
In 2021, the Democratic-led House found former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt over his refusal to answer questions about the Capitol riot. The Justice Department declined to prosecute Meadows.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
