Following his refusal to comply with a subpoena issued on January 6, Peter Navarro, who had previously served as a trade counselor to former President Donald Trump, was given a sentence of four months in jail on Thursday for contempt of Congress.

According to the recent update, Navarro was given a sentence of four months in jail and was required to pay a fine of nine thousand five hundred dollars.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse prior to his sentencing, Navarro said his case “has turned out to be a very important, landmark constitutional case that is going to resolve important issues about the constitutional separation of powers as well as the integrity, efficiency, of presidents and decision making.”

U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta was heard saying the phrase “executive privilege” is not a “magical incantation” or a “get out of jail free card” to be used to defy a subpoena, according to NBC News.

The Judge's Take

“What I find disappointing is that in all of this, even today, there’s little acknowledgment of what your obligation is as an American – to cooperate with Congress, to provide them with information that they’re seeking,” Mehta reportedly said.

“Fine, you think it’s a political hatchet job, it’s domestic terrorists running the committee. They had a job to do and you made it harder. It’s really that simple.”

Due to the fact that Navarro did not comply with the subpoena issued by the committee on January 6, the Department of Justice (DOJ) had earlier suggested that he should be sentenced to six months in jail and paid a fine of two hundred thousand dollars.

Peter Navarro has been sentenced to four months in prison and ordered to pay a fine of $9500. Via @lauraromero1207

— Will Steakin (@wsteaks) January 25, 2024

The prosecution asserted that Navarro's refusal to comply with the subpoena "exacerbated" the "assault" on the rule of law, and they stated that his "defiance and contempt deserves severe punishment."

The indictment against Navarro was handed down in June of 2022, following his refusal to testify during his deposition and his failure to submit papers that were required by the particular committee.

Other Contempt Charges

The announcement that the Department of Justice was advocating for Navarro to be imprisoned for a period of six months coincided with Hunter Biden's decision to testify in front of Congress after he had previously disobeyed a subpoena.

The Majority Leader of the House, Steve Scalise, had stated that the House would vote on the topic, and House Republicans had vowed to place Hunter in contempt of Congress under certain circumstances.

After that, Hunter consented to have a deposition conducted behind closed doors on February 28.

In addition to disobeying a subpoena that was connected to the inquiry that took place on January 6, 2022, former White House adviser Steve Bannon was found guilty in October of that same year.

Although Bannon was given a term of four months in prison, he has filed an appeal against the decision.