Peter Navarro, a former White House adviser during the Donald Trump administration, was sentenced this Thursday to four months in prison for contempt of Congress due to failing to comply with a subpoena from the former House Select Committee investigating the events that occurred at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In addition to the prison term, Navarro is also required to pay a $9,500 fine as part of the sentence that was handed down after the former adviser was convicted in September of last year on two counts of contempt of Congress, which carry mandatory minimum sentences of 30 days in prison each.
Prosecutors had asked District Judge Amit Mehta last week to sentence Navarro to six months in prison on each count, arguing that the mandatory minimum sentence is not enough time to "punish, and deter the Defendant's criminal offense."
Prosecutors sought a six-month concurrent prison sentence on each count and asked for a $200,000 fine, $100,000 for each count, stating that Navarro chose loyalty to former President Donald Trump over the rule of law. Navarro's lawyers requested no more than six months in prison and a $100 fine for each charge.
"There's a serious question here that the Court of Appeals will resolve."
Peter Navarro and his attorneys speak after he was sentenced to four months in prison and vow to appeal. pic.twitter.com/0j6zEMjShn
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) January 25, 2024
After the sentence, Peter Navarro and his legal team said they would appeal the judge's decision.
Steve Bannon was also convicted on similar counts
Businessman and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was also convicted in 2022 of two counts of contempt and sentenced to four months in prison. However, Bannon's sentence is suspended pending an appeal that could overturn his conviction.
As in Navarro's case, the Justice Department had requested a longer sentence of six months in prison and a $200,000 fine.
