Navarro Indictment Shows 'Two-Tier' System, Raises 'Major Constitutional Issues'

Newsmax ^ | 6-4-2022 | Marisa Herman

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Peter Navarro outside the federal courthouse in Washington on Friday, taking questions from reporters. (AP)

Legal experts say the indictment filed on Friday against former Trump White House official Peter Navarro is nothing more than a political witch hunt.

Navarro was indicted on contempt charges after defying a subpoena from the Democrat-dominated House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Under the subpoena, which was issued in February, Navarro was instructed to provide a deposition and documents to the committee. Because he refused, Navarro faces two counts. Each of the charges carries potential penalties of between 30 days and a year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000, according to the Department of Justice.

He is the second Trump adviser to be charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the Jan. 6 committee. Navarro has claimed executive privilege, which the House panel has rejected, claiming its questions don’t violate any areas of privilege.

Navarro was serving as an official adviser to the president at the time of the Jan. 6 breach. That’s in direct contrast with Steve Bannon, who, like Navarro, has been charged, but was an outside adviser to Trump and not an official member of his administration at the time of the breach.

The House has also voted to hold former Trump aide Dan Scavino and former chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt, but the DOJ has not prosecuted either of them to date.

John Tolley, a New York-based attorney and former prosecutor, called the indictment against Navarro “interesting because it does bring up some major constitutional issues.”

While rare, it is not unprecedented for the House to vote to hold high-profile figures in contempt of Congress.

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[AnthonySoprano]

Absolutely!

Thank you