Deliberations underway in ex-Trump aide Peter Navarro’s contempt of Congress trial

Jury deliberations are underway Thursday in the trial of former Trump adviser Peter Navarro on fees of defying a subpoena issued in February 2022 through the House choose committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol assault.

Navarro, who below Donald Trump was once director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, is being attempted on contempt of Congress fees after he was once indicted through a grand jury in June.

Prosecutors argued right through remaining arguments that Navarro’s failure to post paperwork and testify ahead of the committee was once intentional, whilst the protection argued that Navarro was once “communicative” with the committee in spite of no longer attesting or filing paperwork.

Navarro’s legal professional, Stanley Woodward, stated that Navarro instructed the committee that “his hands were tied” and claimed govt privilege.

During testimony Wednesday, David Buckley, a former group of workers director for the Jan. 6 committee, instructed jurors the committee have been searching for to query Navarro about efforts to lengthen Congress’ certification of the 2020 election, a plan Navarro dubbed the “Green Bay Sweep” in his ebook, “In Trump Time.”

Woodward agreed with prosecutors that Navarro didn’t post paperwork or display up for testimony — however, he stated, the Jan. 6 committee did not touch Trump to determine if he had asserted govt privilege over Navarro’s testimony and record manufacturing.

Prosecutors argued that Navarro nonetheless “had to show up to his deposition.”

“To cite the privilege, he had to do it on a question-by-question basis,” lead prosecutor John Crabb stated. “That was made clear to Mr. Navarro. He didn’t show up.”

Navarro faces one depend over his refusal to look for a deposition in entrance of the committee, and every other depend for refusing to supply paperwork. If convicted on each counts, he may just face a most of two years in jail and fines as much as $200,000.

A verdict in the case may just come once Thursday afternoon.